Who Done It?

I discovered this set of tracks along the shores of a pond next to the Henry's Fork of the Snake River near Rexburg, Idaho. The trail width is about 6 inches.

Photo by Dennis Deck

Who made these tracks? [ View Answer ]


















































































































Answer

You will not find this one in any of the guide books! Well, actually Olaus Murie's 1954 classic A Field Guide to Animal Tracks (Peterson Field Guide Serisies) comes closest by including a few cousins to this fellow. The diagonal stride and the wide trail width relative to the stride are definite clues.

A large painted turtle walked around in the shallows of the pond. The mud was very soft and tracks only registered as clear spots where the pond weed was brushed away.

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