Look for information the track can relay. Direction is easily identified as tracks have a “top” (toes) and “bottom” heel. The animal’s gait (movement pattern) can be identified as well. For example, tracks look different in a lope, trot, gallop, run, and more. Finally, speed can be determined by the integrity of the print (slow = good definition, fast = explosive track).
Getting out early means the tracks are fresh with limited disturbance. Good substrate equates to something that a track impression will hold up well in. For example, slightly wet soil or mud is better than sand, which has limited definition retention of a track. Track signatures are what the animal is known for in a stance or walking pattern. For example, rabbits have a “Y” shape with two front prints and the back two in a straight line down.
A bald eagle likely nabbed a red tail hawk chick to feed to its growing young, then got confused by all the squawking. It then ended up adopting the “would be food” and is now raising the hawk as its own. This is a worthwhile read! View the article in the Los Angeles Times.
There have been 33 separate acquisitions that created @ChinoHillsSP and every single one required landowner’s to willingly participate. This means they chose to sell, donate or use their land as mitigation to offset impacts somewhere else.
In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we are celebrating the plant adaptation of “tiny leaves.” Plants with small leaves have less surface area for the sun to reach and therefore the plant loses less water from evapotranspiration. Tiny leaves helps plants in our ecosystems preserve water. Yay for tiny leaves!