The Tracker's Field Guide: A Comprehensive Manual for Animal Tracking

by James Lowery

Overview

Step richly into the animal world by discovering what their tracks tell you about their purpose, mood and individuality. Learn to understand an animal’s current behavior and choices through the context of its biology and the tracks it leaves behind. From decades of field research and teaching tracking to thousands, expert tracker Jim Lowery leads you to confident identification of tracks and into a deeper relationship with animals and their habitat, using many examples, tips, and focused notes written specifically for field exploration.

This guide features:

• Extensive illustrations and photos of tracks which show you speed, movement and behavior
• Thorough and concise “Notes for the Tracker” about the biology of each species, distilled from nearly a thousand primary sources
• “Track Windows” which teach you how to access each species’ essence through field exploration
• Clear identification tips to help you make distinction between easily confused tracks and compare tracks of similar species

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493067039
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/01/2022
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	487,515
Product dimensions:	6.03(w) x 9.05(h) x 1.23(d)

About the Author

James C. Lowery has taught hundreds of beginning and advanced tracking workshops, including many special trainings for field biologists, over the past 35 years. His school, Earth Skills, offers courses and mentoring, and his website www.earthskills.com offers many tracking resources.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

1 Into the Animal's World 1

2 Clear Print Identification 4

3 Track Pattern Basics 9

4 Soil Movement and Track Identification 14

5 Track Pattern interpretation 16

6 Using Pressure Releases for Interpretation 26

7 Mammal Pages 30

Cats 33

Bobcat 34

Domestic Cat 42

Mountain Lion 46

Dogs 55

Coyote 56

Domestic Dog 64

Gray Fox 68

Gray Wolf 76

Kit Fox 82

Red Fox 90

Rabbits and Hares 99

Black-Tailed Jackrabbit 100

Cottontail 108

Snowshoe Hare 116

White-Tailed Jackrabbit 122

Rodents 127

Antelope Squirrel 128

Beaver 132

Chipmunk 140

Fox Squirrel 148

Gray Squirrel 154

Ground Squirrel 162

Kangaroo Rat 170

Marmot/Woodchuck 178

Mice 184

Peromyscus Mice (Peromyscus Genus) 187

Harvest Mice (Reithrodontomys Genus) 188

Grasshopper Mice (Onychomys Genus) 189

Pocket Mice (Chaetodipus and Perognathus Genus) 190

Muskrat 192

Pocket Gopher 198

Porcupine 202

Red Squirrel 210

Vole 216

Woodrat 220

Weasels and Skunks 229

Badger 230

Fisher 238

Marten 242

Mink 250

River Otter 256

Spotted Skunk 262

Striped Skunk 270

Weasel 278

Raccoons, Opossums, and Bears 287

Raccoon 288

Ringtail 296

Opossum 304

Black Bear 310

Grizzly Bear 318

Insectivore 323

Shrew 324

Ungulates 327

Bighorn Sheep 328

Burro 336

Domestic Cow 338

Elk 340

Feral Pig 348

Llama 350

Moose 352

Mule Deer/Black-Tailed Deer 356

Pronghorn 364

White-Tailed Deer 370

Appendix A Mammal List 376

Appendix B Recommended Reading 380

Appendix C Visualizing Home-Range Sizes 396

Appendix D Resources 398

Glossary 399

Index 402

Clear Print Summary 404

Track Pattern Summary 406

About the Author 408

Editorial Reviews

02/01/2023

With over 30 years of tracking experience, Lowery (Walk with the Animal: A Tracking Methodology) shares knowledge and methods to help observers "step into the animal's world." Beginning chapters cover tracking basics, with quick references (e.g., the number of toes or the trot pattern of footprints) and ample explanations and illustrations of key markers to indicate animal size, movement direction, energy level, speed, rest patterns, and the animal's focus. Nearly 500 photos and illustrations aid in IDing and interpreting animal tracks, from urban animals (rodents; dogs; cats) to wild-dwelling ones (grizzly bears; bighorn sheep). VERDICT Improved photos, updated species names, and ample sources make this revised edition a recommended choice, particularly for rural libraries.

Library Journal