Meeteetse Conservation District
Education
KIDS' CORNER:
ANIMAL TRACKS
Have you ever seen your own footprint in the snow, mud or sand? Animals leave footprints or tracks just like we do. Hunters often look for animal tracks to help find their prey.
Animal tracks are often seen on rangeland because animals use this type of land, especially in the winter time as feeding and watering grounds. Rangeland helps wildlife and is a good place to find tracks. Another good place to find tracks is near a water source because animals need to drink water just like we do.
ANIMAL TRACK DETECTIVE PROJECT
Go outside and be an animal track detective. Look for tracks if you see a track, draw a picture of it. If you have a ruler, take a measurement of it. Try to figure out what animal made the track. Was it a pet, a bird, a small animal, large animal, or maybe even a human??? Try making your own tracks if you can't find any. Remember a good place to find tracks is near a water or food source. Another place to look for tracks is inside tree bark. Beetles often make galleries or little trails inside the bark of a tree or in a decaying log. Also, look on leaves. Sometimes bugs will leave a slimy trail or other evidence that they were there.
Want to learn more?
ESPN Outdoors - Kid stuff: Molds of tracks 'capture' animals
Beartracker's Animal Track Den
Other Kids' Projects:
