Field notes, v1414
Page 129
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Koford, R. 1975 Journal White Cloud campground, 11 mi. E Nevada City, Nevada Co: Calif. 4300 + ft. 4 April The trailing edge of the tracks are more abrupt, sometimes with two short extensions made by the foot. The leading edge (pointing in the direction of travel) also has two extensions, but they are closer together than the ones on the trailing edge. The distance between successive tracks is short in the deep snow - most often 30-40 cm. The size of the track varies depending on the hardness + depth of snow and the length of time since it was made. What I interpret as Douglas Squirrel tracks, though, have the two leading extensions about 5 cm. apart from center to center, whereas the Gray squirrel tracks are closer to 7 or 8 cm. Also the entire track of the larger squirrel is larger, though exact dimensions vary. Just as an example, the ones I saw today seemed to be about 10 cm. long while the Gray squirrels were about 15. At 1915 I saw a set of tracks, recently made since they weren't filled in at all and it was snowing lightly, which originated in the middle of an open space as an elongate indentation. The limbs of the nearby trees all had several inches of undisturbed snow on them, so it seemed very unlikely that a squirrel had jumped from a branch. I concluded that they were Flying Squirrel tracks. They were similar to Douglas Squirrel tracks, but many had bow-like light