Create It

Animal Tracks

Volume I

Here’s a chance to see the world through the eyes of a wild animal! Use your imagination - be the animal - and map its journey!

Here’s what you will need for your animal tracking map:
• Paper for drawing
• Pen or pencil
• Glue
• Tracking symbols (located on the right side of this page)

As you follow the trail of an animal, keep your eyes open for familiar ‘signs’ along the way. These signs can tell you a lot about the activities of the animal that you are tracking.

Sign 1: By knowing the weather pattern for the days before you began tracking and by examining the earth in which the print was made, you can guess how old the tracks are. For example, did it rain recently? Is there water in the tracks?

Sign 2: If you find animal scat (dung) you could guess when the animal passed that point by examining how fresh (moist) it is. Scat dries from the inside out.

Sign 3: An animal’s behavior can be determined by the pattern in its stride. If the distance between tracks remains the same, the animal may be in a relaxed walk. If the tracks suddenly become farther apart with the front and rear prints closer together, the animal may have been scared and decided to run. Or maybe the walking pattern changes to a creeping or stalking pattern – the animal is closing in on its prey!

Sign 4: While tracking you may notice some leaves, berries or nuts have been eaten or that there are gnaw marks on a tree trunk. You may even find the leftovers of a carnivore’s meal – some fur and bones – along the trail. Signs of eating can be accompanied by many tracks in one location or animal scat.

By watching for these signs, you can learn what animals do during the day. Map the journey of a wild animal, and see the world through their eyes!