The drag marks created by the tail of a beaver in loose sand is one of the most common tracks observed along much of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.
The large tracks of a beaver coming out of the water. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Two front and a single hind foot of a ringtail. The pocket knife is 4 inches long
Left front (below) and hind tracks of a ringtail. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Front (below) and hind tracks of a grey fox. Fox tracks were common along the river throughout the canyon. This small lighter is a little less that 2.5 inches long. Fox tracks are typically slightly less than 2 inches in length. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Right front (on the left) and hind tracks of a grey fox. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Scat from a ringtail on top of a can of food. Ringtail's often sneak onto rafts at nigth to raid expeditions fruit supply. They prefer apples to oranges. Their amazing ability to get into tight spaces allows them to get into just about anywhere they want to on a boat.
The typical bounding track pattern of a rock squirrel. Their tracks are suprising large (about .75 inches long). Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Front left (below) and hind left (above) tracks of a deer mouse.
Right front (above) and hind (below) tracks of a bushy-tailed woodrat. Tracks are about half an inch in lenght. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
The bounding pattern of a deer mouse can be seen faintly next to the much larger tracks of a woodrat to the right. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
The handland tracks of a northern racoon. This species tracks didn't start appearing on the river until the lower strech of the canyon. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
The long claws are one of the clues that this is the front foot of a striped skunk. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Left front (below) and hind tracks of a striped skunk. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
The bounding track pattern of a spotted skunk. The smaller tracks are from deer mice.
Burrow holes of a Merriam's kangaroo rat. Desert specialists, kangaroo rats spend their days underground where they avoid the heat of day and conserve water. They come out at night to forage. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Tracks of a Great Blue Heron in mud along the river. Tracks are about 6 inches long!
Common raven tracks, about 3.75 inches in length are common to find in and around human camps where they come to forage for scraps that humans may have left behind.
Gambel's quail tracks are about an inch in length. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Quail often travel in large groups, as illustrated here by the confusion of tracks. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Canada geese tracks along the banks of the Colorado River. Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Keep your eyes peeled for conical depressions in loose sand. These are traps built by ant lions, a type of insect larvae. The ant lion waits burried beneath the sand at the bottom for an ant or other small insect to slip in to the hole at which point it grabs its prey.
