For our exploration of Burlington, we stayed close to home and looked for wildlife signs just behind the entrance to the Davis Center tunnel behind University Heights. After following the fence that separated the line of backyards from campus, we spotted many dog and human footprints, but we also made some more interesting discoveries. These included rabbit tracks, scuffles in the snow, and many signs of squirrels including tracks, nests and sightings.
I submitted a few uninteresting photos to iNaturalist; other observers’ posts including more elusive species without doubt put mine to shame. If I had set aside more time to look for wildlife signs, I would have liked to make a more substantial contribution to this lively and diverse collection of observations.
Telling the difference between rabbit prints and squirrel prints was the only challenge we encountered while examining tracks. We decided that the linear path with asymmetrical front foot placement was made by a rabbit, and the more erratic paths made with smaller feet were the work of squirrels living in the area. Because the conditions of the snow don’t always allow for the observation of a defined footprint, it is important to take into account the bigger picture– the animal’s movements. Learning about gate patterns in NR 1020 proved useful when we couldn’t always get a good look at the details of the prints!
