Animal Tracks Self-Guided Junior Ranger Activity (Ages 7 to 12 years)

1. Take a pencil and paper and go out on a trail or muddy streambank. Draw some animal tracks in the space below. What animal do you think made each of the tracks?

2. Counting toes helps you identify the animals that left the tracks. If it has four toes and no claw marks, it's a cat. If it has four toes and claws, it's a dog. If it has a hoof, it could be a deer. How many toes on each of the tracks you found? Write the number of toes next to the tracks on your drawing.

3. You can tell a little bit about the environment the animal is adapted to live in by looking at its tracks. Does it have webbed toes? It probably lives near water. Does it have long claws? It may use them for climbing or digging. What adaptations can you find in your tracks that tell you something about the animal?

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   4. What is the smallest animal track you can find? Draw it here.
      
      

5. Find the biggest track you can and draw it here.
   
   

6. What animal do you think made it?

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7. Look around for a bird track. They usually have three long toes poiting forward and one long toe pointing backward. Draw one bird track here.
   
   

When you have finished this activity, bring it with you to the next Junior Ranger activity in the park to receive a stamp in your Junior Ranger Log Book. (You can get the free book at the park if you don't have one.)

Activity by: Kim A. Cabrera Interpretive Specialist Humboldt Redwoods State Park July 2001

For more information on animal tracks and tracking, visit Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den (www.bear-tracker.com)