Footprints and Tracks

Hoof and foot prints can be helpful pest animal identifiers, whether found on the ground or in tracking tunnels. Some pest species also make recognisable trails, nests and dens, or leave tell-tale mud baths where they have wallowed!

The drawings below show idealised footprints. Prints in the field are usually much less clear and can differ according to such factors as the ground surface (e.g. hard or soft); whether or not it has rained since the prints were made; the age, sex and size of animal; or whether the animal was walking or running. A series of footprints made by an animal as it moves is called a track.

Tracking tunnels record the footprints of smaller animals.  These prints can be easier to identify but can also be a smeary mess, especially if several different species have passed through the tunnel.

If an animal or group of animals moves through an area frequently a clear path or groove can be worn on the ground and the animals' movement will keep these trails or runs clear of low branches. Many animals like to sleep or hide in fixed locations called dens. Some animals like to wallow in mud baths to cover themselves in mud.

The clue descriptions below will guide you in considering size, shape and unusual features when tracking pest animals.

Narrow your search to specific types of Footprints and Tracks:

Hooves

  • Goat tracks 1 500x500 Goat footprint.
  • Chamois tracks 1 Chamois hoof print.
  • Tahr tracks 1 Himalayan tahr hoof tprint.
  • Fallow deer tracks 1 500x500 Fallow deer footprint.
  • Sika deer tracks 1 500x500 Sika deer footprint.
  • Rusa deer tracks 1 500x500 Rusa deer footprint.
  • White tailed deer tracks 3 500x500 White-tailed deer footprint.
  • Sambar deer tracks 1 500x500 Sambar deer footprint.
  • red deer tracks 2 500x500 Red deer footprint.
  • wapiti tracks 1sq Wapiti hoof print.
  • Pig tracks 1 500x500 Pig footprint.

Paws and feet

  • Plague skink tracks 1sq Plague skink footprints.
  • mouse tracks 1 500x500 House mouse paw prints.
  • Kiore tracks 1 500x500 Kiore footprints.
  • Ship rat tracks 1 500x50 Ship rat footprints.
  • Norway rat tracks 1 500x Norway rat footprints.
  • possum tracks 7 489x500 Possum hind foot and forefoot.
  • Rabbit tracks 1 499x500 Rabbit paw prints (front and hind).
  • brown hare tracks 1sq Brown hare paw prints (fore and hind).
  • dama wallaby tracks 1sq Dama wallaby hind footprints at speed.
  • Bennetts wallaby tracks 1sq Bennett's wallaby footprint (hind feet only).
  • Hedgehog tracks 1 500x500 Hedgehog forefoot (top) and hindfoot print.
  • Cat tracks 1 500x500 Cat footprints.
  • Weasel tracks 1 500x500 Weasel footprints.
  • Stoat tracks 1 500x500 Stoat footprints.
  • Ferret tracks 1 500x500 Ferret footprints.
  • Rainbow lorikeet tracks 1sq Rainbow lorikeet footprint.
  • Magpie tracks 1 Australian magpie footprint.
  • Rook tracks 1 Rook footprint.
  • Canada goose tracks 1 Canada goose footprints.

Trails and Runs

  • PestDetec pic needed Norway rat trail, preferably from the bush.
  • Possum tracks 6 360x360 A possum run coming out of the forest into pasture.
  • Rabbit tracks 11sq A rabbit trail across pasture.
  • PestDetec pic needed Photo of dama wallaby run
  • Bennetts wallaby tracks 7sq Bennett's wallaby trail.
  • chamois tracks 7sq Chamois trail across a slope.
  • PestDetec pic needed Photos of Himalayan tahr trail needed, preferably across scree and/or through rock bluff system
  • Fallow deer tracks 4 500x500 Fallow deer trail.
  • PestDetec pic needed Sika deer trail
  • PestDetec pic needed Rusa deer trail
  • PestDetec pic needed White-tailed deer trail
  • PestDetec pic needed Sambar deer trail needed
  • Red deer tracks 11 500x500 A red deer trail.
  • PestDetec pic needed Photos needed of a typical wapiti trail coming out of the forest to open space.
  • Pig tracks 2sq Feral pig trail.
  • PestDetec pic needed Cat trail.
  • PestDetec pic needed Weasel trail.

Wallows

  • Sika deer tracks 4 500x500 Sika deer wallow.
  • PestDetec pic needed Rusa deer wallow
  • PestDetec pic needed White-tailed deer wallow - photo needed
  • PestDetec pic needed Sambar deer wallow - photo needed
  • red deer tracks 10 500x500 Red deer wallow in forest.
  • Pig tracks 11sq Pig wallow in lowland forest.
  • PestDetec pic needed Photos needed of a wapiti wallow, and of a wpiti bull in a wallow

Dens and nests

  • Plague skink nest 1sq Plague skink nest with safety pin for scale.
  • Mouse tracks 6 500x500 Two mice emerging from dens.
  • PestDetec pic needed Kiore nest.
  • Ship rat tracks 9a 500x5 Ship rat larder.
  • Norway rat tracks 5 500x500 Norway rat burrow entrance with excavated material in the foreground.
  • Rabbit tracks 4sq Rabbit burrow.
  • Brown hare tracks 8sq Brown hare form (resting place).
  • PestDetec pic needed Photo of dama wallaby day time resting site.
  • PestDetec pic needed Rusa deer bedding site.
  • Pig tracks 8 500x500 Pig nest.
  • PestDetec pic needed Hedgehog nest.
  • PestDetec pic needed Cat nesting den..
  • PestDetec pic needed Weasel den and/or kill cache.
  • Stoat tracks 2 500x500 Stoat den - contents.
  • Ferret tracks 6 500x500 Ferrets often use rabbit burrows as their dens.
  • Magpie tracks nest 2sq Juvenile magpie on a nest.
  • Rook tracks nest 1sq A rook beside a rook nest.
  • Canada goose nest 1sq Eggs in Canada goose nest.
  • posumm den 1 Possum den in a tree.