Here's a closer view of one set that made a very deep impression in the sand:
Do you have a guess yet about the animal responsible for these tracks?
The next image has a pencil for scale. (My pencil is ~ 5.5 inches or 14 cm long.)
Note that both front and hind tracks are visible. The front tracks are smaller than the hind tracks. Consistently, the animal placed one hind foot in the same place as one front foot (see center track), so the track pattern looks like three tracks at first, but observe closely and you'll see all four prints.
There are five toes on both the front and hind feet. The hind feet are especially wide and appear webbed. Although these are nice impressions in very soft sand, you can tell that the pads on the bottom of the feet aren't well developed (they don't really show up in the tracks).
Do you have a guess now? (Mine is below the next photo.)
I first wrote about River Otters after we encountered a couple along the Mendocino Coast last summer. You can see those photos and learn more about them here.
2 comments:
I have seen river otters frequently around the outflow point near Campbells cove in years past! I asked a colleague here who is pretty good at tracks and she thinks river otter too based on the pattern.
I have seen river otters near bodega bay several times, twice near goat rock and once near Campbells cove. So they're around.
My favorite sighting of river otters was in Gualala River (further north then us by a bit) I was on the far shore and saw parents and cubs frolicking near the river mouth.
such lovely slippery creatures
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