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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Tracks and spraint id please. uk (1 Viewer)

rozinante

Anarchism is order
Found under railway bridge. I know what I hope they are but can hardly believe it.

Opinions welcomed but an "expert" id realy would be apreciated.
 

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Thanks John.

I am seeking out some local contacts for confirmation but I was not aware of any known resident otters in the area I found these signs.

It would be great news indeed if there is a resident otter family on "my" patch.

:)
 
I would be very interested to hear any confirmation of Otters in your area. Please keep us informed. BTW Where exactly in N.Yorks are you? Feel free to PM me if you don't want to reveal the location on this forum. Thanks.
 
A senior conservation officer experienced with otters has suggested that both the tracks and spraint are most likely from mink.

Been away, sorry for the delayed update. Will post a bit more of his id suggestions for further info when I get time.

Mike... Skipton now. Originally Hull though and with some great, if fading, memories of Brid Spa. Bowie on the Ziggy tour for one. :)
 
I'll be interested to see the extra gen, looking again at the tracks some are twice as big as others, and I know from experience Mink are near full-size when they appear wheras Otters are not. Did you estimate the track size yourself?

John
 
Hello John

In my over excitement I failed to use my usual scale. I would estimate the larger of the tracks as about 35 - 45 mm. Interesting point about likely differences in "fledging" (?!) size though John.

I now realise that this alone should have suggested mink. It seems that no matter how often I remind myself of the actual size of otters, I still continue to underestimate them!

The other characteristic alluded to by my adviser was the absence of any impression of the distal web.

After referring to a couple of books, (Hamlyn and Oxford guides to Animal Tracks & signs) it seems that the possible variability of imprints in different media could be very misleading. The evaluation of imprints showing a web or not and the continuous or separate imprints of claws seem to require far greater experience than I currently have.

His comments on the scat were that it appeared to contain crayfish remains and would not id otter or mink. He suggested that the only method he knew of (apart from DNA I suppose) was to seal in a plastic bag for a few days. He suggested that the resulting smell would really stink with mink but the otters would smell sweeter. Apparently this was an accidental discovery after forgetting samples left in a jacket pocket. :)
 
Hello John

In my over excitement I failed to use my usual scale. I would estimate the larger of the tracks as about 35 - 45 mm. Interesting point about likely differences in "fledging" (?!) size though John.

I now realise that this alone should have suggested mink. It seems that no matter how often I remind myself of the actual size of otters, I still continue to underestimate them!

The other characteristic alluded to by my adviser was the absence of any impression of the distal web.

After referring to a couple of books, (Hamlyn and Oxford guides to Animal Tracks & signs) it seems that the possible variability of imprints in different media could be very misleading. The evaluation of imprints showing a web or not and the continuous or separate imprints of claws seem to require far greater experience than I currently have.

His comments on the scat were that it appeared to contain crayfish remains and would not id otter or mink. He suggested that the only method he knew of (apart from DNA I suppose) was to seal in a plastic bag for a few days. He suggested that the resulting smell would really stink with mink but the otters would smell sweeter. Apparently this was an accidental discovery after forgetting samples left in a jacket pocket. :)

Hope your partner would be more understanding than mine if I tried such a trick!

My local Mink take a humongous amount of crayfish in summer - one of their good points I suppose! - and I'm sure I saw something on TV recently suggesting Otters do as well although more as a snack than a diet dependency.

The interesting thing about the tracks here is that they are all in the same medium but still very much an assorted bunch, just shows how difficult it all can be.

John
 
No otter prints; the smaller prints are rodents, probably rat, long toes and not in a mustelid shape ie toes not in a rough line above the pad.

No need to keep a spraint in a bag, the smell is obvious straight away, otter is a pleasant musk smell, mink is anything but and normally more sticky and not something you would want around for a few days!

Reminds me of a friend doing fox research, he had so many fox scats for months in his car boot he had a car nobody would ever steal,
 
I am really sorry to put a damper on things too but they are mink tracks.Otter tracks always leave an intermittent wavy line between the tracks from thier heavy tail.
 
Definately Mink, the droppings would have a rather nasty fishy smell!

We now have Otters penetrating into Birmingham, and are present at a couple of "secret" sites, though you still need to be lucky to see one.

Lots of Mink too!
 
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