What kind of animal makes these tracks?

[Duck]

I was playing around in the snow with my 4 wheeler yesterday & noticed a whole mess of these tracks in the snow in the field about 100 yards from the house. They're next to the creek but none of them actually go down to the water.





They're not deer or coyote tracks.

I typed "opossum tracks" into Google Images & they look sorta similar except smaller & with 5 "fingers" instead of three. In the bottom picture the track was about 4 inches wide, 5 inches from front to rear. It's freshly fallen snow so it wouldn't take much weight to make it deep like that.

Too big to be duck tracks.

I found this picture below. It doesn't look like any of them.



These are duck tracks below but the page I swiped the pic from didn't say how big they are. It would take a pretty dang freakin big duck to make footprints 4 inches wide.



In the duck tracks above, the middle toe is longer than the other two, and the toes are spread out wider.



Canada goose tracks (above) look the same as duck tracks. Also too small.

 

[Duck]

Owls have that rear claw so I didn't even bother typing that into Google Images.

This is a wolf footprint below. It's a good size comparison because somebody's hand is in the picture. That's about the size of these tracks I'm talking about.


Below are pheasant tracks. Same as the duck & Canada goose except without the webbing.



@notarps4me maybe you'd recognize that footprint.

Wouldn't it be ironic if there were some kind of really big mutant ducks living around here?

 

[Injun]

 

[Duck]

Swan tracks? I don't know. Below is a pic. The size looks close but the toes are pointier & they're spread out wider.

 

[Injun]

 

[Duck]

Just for the hell of it I typed "penguin tracks" into Google Images.



Great. I got freakin' PENGUINS hanging out here. What else is this winter gonna bring?

 

[Injun]

 

[Injun]

I think you have a migrating group of Am. White Pelicans.

 

[Duck]

Here's the picture with some colored stuff I added. The rounded toes indicate there's no claw. The left finger or toe seems to have a knuckle or a joint or something in the middle.

 

[Injun]

Here's the picture with some colored stuff I added. The rounded toes indicate there's no claw. The left finger or toe seems to have a knuckle or a joint or something in the middle.

View attachment 25278

Look at the right print I posted above. You'll see the knuckle. Keep in mind it's in sand, so the spread might look different. Sand is more firm than snow. Also, the prints I posted are from the Brown Pelican, not the White.

Although they are very closely related, they are different species. It would be extremely unusual, nearly unheard of, for Browns to be in your neck of the woods. However, I can see where Whites might wander into your area on occasion.

 

[Injun]

Here are more Brown Pelican tracks:



They appear narrower and you don't see the claw.

 

[Duck]

Look at the right print I posted above. You'll see the knuckle. Keep in mind it's in sand, so the spread might look different. Sand is more firm than snow. Also, the prints I posted are from the Brown Pelican, not the White.

Although they are very closely related, they are different species. It would be extremely unusual, nearly unheard of, for Browns to be in your neck of the woods. However, I can see where Whites might wander into your area on occasion.

I already figured out it's penguin tracks.

No idea how these flightless birds got here from Antarctica but nothing surprises me this winter.

 

[Injun]

This might be another option:



Yep, that's right.

Feathered rodents.

 

[Duck]

It's those danged penguins from Madagascar. I just know they're plotting something.



They better not be planning on stealing my tractor.

 

[Injun]

It's those danged penguins from Madagascar. I just know they're plotting something.

They better not be planning on stealing my tractor.

 

[Tim]

They are turkey tracks.

 

[Injun]

They are turkey tracks.

 

[8978]

El Chupacabra

 

[Duck]

El Chupacabra

View attachment 25315

That might explain the dead 'possum in the yard.