Sample Track and Sign Evaluation
Here is a sample of a track and sign evaluation to provide you with a general understanding of the diversity and depth to which you will be asked questions. This evaluation was offered by Louis Liebenberg and Mark Elbroch in Cuyama, California in December 2004.
| Question | Answer | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What species made this track? | Heerman’s kangaroo rat (A medium kangaroo rat was an accepted answer) | 3 (Clear tracks) |
| 2. What foot is this (referring to the kangaroo rat trail)? | Left hind | 3 |
| 3. What animal made these tracks? | Desert cottontail | 3 (Partial tracks) |
| 4. Which foot is is (referring to the cottontail tracks)? | Right front | 3 |
| 5. What animal made these tracks? | Raccoon | 2 (Old tracks) |
| 6. What animal made these tracks? | Coyote | 2 (Clear tracks) |
| 7. What animal made these tracks? | American badger | 3 (Obscured tracks) |
| 8. What did this animal do (referring to badger trail)? | Slipped as it looked and turned to the left | 3 |
| 9. What animal made these tracks? | California pocket mouse (Just pocket mouse was acceptable) | 3 (Clear tracks) |
| 10. What animal made these tracks? | Black-tailed jackrabbit | 2 (Clear tracks) |
| 11. What animal made these tracks? | Scrub jay | 3 (Clear tracks) |
| 12. What animal made these tracks? | Perfect leaf imprint | 1 (Clear) |
| 13. What made these tracks? | Rolling leaf | 3 (Clear tracks and leaf was within sight) |
| 14. What animal made these tracks? | Bobcat | 1 (Clear tracks) |
| 15. What animal made these tracks? | Domestic dog | 1 (Clear tracks) |
| 16. What animal made these tracks? | Woodrat | 3 (Slightly obscured) |
| 17. What animal made these tracks? | Dusky-footed woodrat (Just woodrat is acceptable) | 3 (Clear tracks) |
| 18. What animal made these tracks? | Roadrunner | 2 (Clear tracks) |
| 19. Which direction was the roadrunner moving? | North | 3 |
| 20. What animal made these tracks? | Black-tailed jackrabbit | (Clear tracks) |
| 21. How is this animal moving (what gait)? | Coyote in an unusual under-step trot | 3 (Unusual gait due to deep mud) |
| 22. How is this animal moving? | Raccoon walking | 3 (Clear 2×2 walk unique to coons) |
| 23. What animal made these tracks? | California quail | 2 (Clear covey of birds) |
| 24. What sex is this animal? | Male bobcat | 3 (Clear tracks) |
| 25. What animal made these tracks? | Common snipe | 3 (Clear tracks) |
| 26. What animal made these tracks? | Cougar | 2 (Obscured) |
| 27. What sex is this animal? | Male cougar | 3 (Clear tracks) |
| 28. What animal made this sign? | Cougar scrape in leaf litter | 3 (Clear sign) |
| 29. What animal made this scat? | Black bear | 3 (very runny fruit scat) |
| 30. What animal made this sign? | Dusky-footed woodrat nest (just woodrat was acceptable) | 1 (Unmistakable) |
| 31. What animal made this sign? | Woodrats | 3 (Clear sign next to nest) |
| 32. What was the animal doing? (Referring to previous question) | Woodrats stripping willows for nesting material | 3 (Clear sign next to nest) |
| 33. What animal made this scat? | Black bear | 3 (characteristic scat, but that of a cub) |
| 34. What animal made these tracks? | Mule deer | 1 (Clear track) |
| 35. What animal made this sign? | Mule deer breaking agaves to feed on succulent stem | 3 (Clear, but old sign) |