This document discusses signs that animals leave behind such as tracks and scats. It provides information on the best surfaces and times to observe tracks, as well as what different track features can indicate about the animal such as size, gender, and age. It also describes characteristics of carnivore and herbivore scats as well as other traces animals can leave like shelters, claw marks, and paths. The document aims to help identify species present in an area by the signs they leave behind.

1. OEEDU5003 Connecting
with Nature
Week six
Tracks, scats and reviewing the walk.

2. Tracks, Scats
& other Signs

3. TRACKS
• What are the best surface types to find tracks?
– Snow, mud, sand, creek banks, road side dust,
dried puddles, beaches
• When is the best time to observe tracks ?
– In the morning, can estimate age of track by
amount of weathering
• What does size of track show?
– Juvenile/adult, male/female?
• What are the different structures of feet?
– Toes, claws, number of pads, arrangement, amount
of foot on ground, shape of print
• Sand boxes

4. Gaits
• What gaits do Australian species
use?
– Hop, bound, run, jump, waddle, crawl,
slide or creep
• What does stride length show?
• Gaits of introduced species?
– Walk, trot, gallop
• Using Triggs book, have a go at
ID’ing A to G, pp. 8-9
• Check your answers!

5. Who did these??

6. Scats: Carnivore
• Characteristics?
• Cylindrical (sausage) shape, fragments of
bone, twist of hair at one end of scat
• May have white chalky substance on outer
layer (from bones)
• Strong odour
• Variations in scats: diet, seasonal change,
age
• Territorial markers

7. Scats: herbivores
• Lots of herbivores!
• Look at the size of the poo.
• What’s in it? Marsupials extract moisture – dry
grass in poo.
• Consider main diet – Koala (leaves).
• Consider place – Wombats wipe their bum!
• Kangaroos and Wallabies groom – so can have
hair mixed in.
• Koala rarely and Wombats never groom.

8. SCATS
• Why is scat ID important?
• Identify species of animals in area (many
nocturnal animals)
– Also what eaten & when
• Guide to animal size, weight, age
• Herbivores – general characteristics?
• dark brown, black, dark green
– Fibrous plant material
– Large quantities
– Weathered: lighter color
– Usually groups of pellets

9. OTHER TRACES?
• Shelters: open grassland, hollows in trees,
under logs, burrows, tunnels, grassy
nests, caves, forks of trees (coppice),
house cavities
• Claw marks, diggings
• Landing places
• Paths
• Bones (anatomy similar)
• Effect on vegetation

10. Borhoneyghurk Common

11. A transformed landscape

14. Understanding landscape
controls
• Rocks own the site (largely determine what can
occur. Soil over time?)
• Climate manages the site (water critical element
in SE Aust. Creates and limits possibilities)
• Biota occupy the site (subject to rock and climate
influences)
• Aspect imposes site restrictions (north sloping
vs south sloping)
• Humans???

15. Reflect on the trip (pairs)
• What aspects of this trip were useful in
developing connections?
– Contrast with a canoe or climbing trip?
– What is the role of knowledge? Eg, flora,
history.
– Role of experiential elements? Walking,
looking, camping?
• What made sense and worked best for
you?

16. Assessment items -
progress?
• The Nature Diary (3 visits minimum)
– Place?
– Visits to date?
– Frame of reference?
– Reflections on connection to place?
• Final due date and presentation
summary October 17th
.

17. Assessment items -
progress?
• Assessment 2
– What are you planning on doing?
– Need to see me about trips now, so you can
start planning
– Do you need time in class to present?