If You Want to Learn More About Tracking Animals

I know we've been talking about animal tracking, but I want to pass on this article about man tracking. Read about the Shadow Wolves, an elite all-Indian tracking unit that searches for smugglers along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Now, back to animals. Here are some helpful resources for those of you who might want to learn more about animal tracking. The books were recommended by Kevin Hansen, who taught our class on animal tracking. The web sites are some that I have come across while researching these posts.

Books

Murie, Olaus J.: Animal tracks. (Peterson Field Guides Series). Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1974.

Rezendes, Paul: Tracking & the art of seeing; How to read animal tracks & sign. Charlotte, VT: Camden House, 1992.

Web Sites

BioKids Field Guides, Track and Sign

This is part of a wonderful website put together for kids by the University of Michigan. The site also includes other field guides and lots of information about animals, habitats, conservation, research, and other resources. Yes, it was written for kids in Michigan, but it is a valuable source of information about animal subjects in general for the rest of us, too.

How to Track Animals

Here's a gold mine! E-How has published a series of 15 videos online--learn about tracks, trails, scat, and more. From the series summary: Watch these do-it-yourself videos before you head out on a nature walk and practice your tracking skills. Observe the tracks of birds, dogs, and cats by learning the tricks of the trade in these videos. Learn about foot morphology, stride, scat, and trail width as well as gallop patterns, animal gaits and tips for measuring tracks.