Who Done It?

Toppenish Wildlife Refuge

On a dusty road in the dry Yakima valley east of the Washington Cascades, I found the tracks in this photo.

Photo by Dennis Deck

What two animals are shown in this photo? [ View Answer ]










































































































Answer

A bird walked toward the top of the photo. Another of the same species walked back toward the bottom. The size relative to Swiss Army Knife should suggest a fairly large bird. This was a Ring-necked Pheasant.

Another animal walked from right to left. Even though the long nails do not show in the dust here, the textured pad should be a give-away. This porcupine, and its offspring, walked along the road between stands of willow. The general area was arid and treeless except around the marshes and creeks that form the refuge, so I did not expect to see porcupine.

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