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How to read animal tracks - Test
Contributed by: Roe
  • 1. What is the term for the study of animal tracks and signs?
A) Botany
B) Zoology
C) Paleontology
D) Animal tracking
  • 2. Which of these is NOT a type of animal sign?
A) Rubs
B) Tracks
C) Cloud formation
D) Scat
  • 3. What is gait in the context of animal tracking?
A) Fur color
B) The pattern of footfalls
C) Animal's diet
D) Habitat preference
  • 4. A bounding gait is most commonly seen in which animal group?
A) Reptiles
B) Deer
C) Birds
D) Mustelids (e.g., weasels)
  • 5. What is 'straddle' in tracking terminology?
A) Depth of the track
B) Age of the track
C) Width between tracks
D) Length of the track
  • 6. What is 'register' in tracking?
A) When the hind foot lands in the print of the forefoot.
B) The animal's vocalization.
C) The type of substrate the animal walked on.
D) The number of animals in a group.
  • 7. Which of these substrates is BEST for finding clear tracks?
A) Mud
B) Solid rock
C) Ice
D) Dry leaves
  • 8. What tool is most useful for accurately measuring tracks?
A) Ruler or calipers
B) Binoculars
C) Shovel
D) Compass
  • 9. What does 'claw drag' indicate?
A) The animal's claws are extended
B) The animal is walking on ice
C) The animal is very old
D) The animal is injured
  • 10. Scat analysis can help determine what?
A) Diet
B) Age
C) Migration patterns
D) Sex
  • 11. Which animal is known for its alternating diagonal gait?
A) Rabbit
B) Fox
C) Bear
D) Squirrel
  • 12. What type of feet do rabbits have?
A) Unguligrade
B) Palmate
C) Digitigrade
D) Plantigrade
  • 13. What does a cluster of deer tracks in one area indicate?
A) Water source
B) Hunting ground
C) Migration route
D) Bedding area
  • 14. What is a track pattern showing two feet side by side, then two more feet further ahead called?
A) Walk
B) Bound
C) Pace
D) Gallop
  • 15. What is the term for the space between successive steps of the same foot?
A) Gait
B) Register
C) Straddle
D) Stride
  • 16. Which of these animals is plantigrade?
A) Bear
B) Deer
C) Dog
D) Horse
  • 17. What does it mean if the tracks are very close together?
A) The animal was injured
B) The animal was running fast
C) The animal was very large
D) The animal was moving slowly
  • 18. What is the difference between a track and a trail?
A) A trail is a series of tracks
B) A track is older than a trail
C) A trail is made by humans
D) There is no difference
  • 19. Which of the following is NOT something you can determine from tracks?
A) The animal's gait
B) The animal's name
C) The animal's species
D) The animal's direction of travel
  • 20. What could small rodent tracks near a tree indicate?
A) The animal is migrating.
B) The animal is injured.
C) The animal is foraging for food.
D) The animal is marking its territory.
  • 21. What does a set of bird tracks ending abruptly at a tree indicate?
A) The bird is dead
B) The bird is nesting
C) The bird flew away
D) The bird was captured
  • 22. Why is it important to take photos of tracks?
A) To sell the photos
B) To scare away animals
C) For documentation and later analysis
D) To attract other trackers
  • 23. What is a track 'pattern'?
A) The overall arrangement of multiple tracks
B) The sharpness of a single track
C) The size of a single track
D) The depth of a single track
  • 24. What is a good reference guide to take with you when identifying tracks?
A) A guide to identifying trees
B) A guide to identifying bird calls
C) A field guide specific to animal tracks in your region
D) A guide to cloud formations
  • 25. Which of these might obscure or distort tracks?
A) Moonlight
B) Sunlight
C) Wind
D) Rain
  • 26. What is a 'rub'?
A) A type of plant
B) A method of cleaning tracks
C) Where an animal has rubbed against a tree or rock
D) A type of insect
  • 27. What is the term for the front feet of an animal?
A) Hindfeet
B) Paws
C) Forefeet
D) Legs
  • 28. What is the purpose of animal tracking for conservation?
A) Hunting animals
B) Attracting animals
C) Monitoring populations and movement
D) Building trails
  • 29. Which animal typically has a large pad and four toes on their front feet?
A) Feline (cat, lion, tiger)
B) Rodent (mouse, rat, squirrel)
C) Canine (dog, wolf, fox)
D) Ungulate (deer, elk, moose)
  • 30. What information can you infer from the direction of travel of tracks?
A) What the animal ate last
B) The animal's age
C) The animal's health
D) Where the animal is going
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