What left these paw prints in the snow?

[Baldy881]

I'm stumped ladies and gents, walked the pooch around the local golf course last night and we had close encounters with a fox and then an otter!

Bit further round we came across some odd paw prints in the snow on one of the greens. Pretty sure not related to the earlier encounters, but having asked a couple of country folk still I'm struggling to find out what might have left them. Each pad was around the size of a 10p/50p, and the pic doesn't show so well but they were quite widely spaced between each pair.

So what could have left these prints in the snow?!

[Boosted LS1]

I can't enlarge the pic. Are there any claw impressions? If not then it's probably a cat.

[bunchofkeys]

A fox on a pogo stick?

[blue_haddock]

[Baldy881]

Boosted LS1 said:

I can't enlarge the pic. Are there any claw impressions? If not then it's probably a cat.

Best I can do (it was pitch black and sleeting so light was only from head torch). Possible evidence of small claws, of course they could be prints from a day or two earlier and had another smattering of snow since left but they looked reasonably fresh. Just though the pattern was odd.

[Baldy881]

EmailAddress said:

They look like that when they are trotting, fast walking.

Might have been the one legging it from my doggo then Although I honestly thought the otter was going to take us both on, was a big bugger!

[theplayingmantis]

its not in devon is it...and going over rooftops and walls too?

[Gnits]

Another dog I'd say.
Cats will walk with prints overlapping in snow cos they don't like getting wet cold feet, they will appear more as a single file.
Fox prints are narrower than a dog.
Unsure about Otter though.

[Boosted LS1]

Gnits said:

Another dog I'd say.
Cats will walk with prints overlapping in snow cos they don't like getting wet cold feet, they will appear more as a single file.
Fox prints are narrower than a dog.
Unsure about Otter though.

Otter would leave a tail imprint.

[netherfield]

I was going to say Fox, now not certain, below is a fox track, only animal I know which makes that single track effect.


But now wonder if it's a fox running, not walking.

Edited by netherfield on Friday 8th December 14:43

[popeyewhite]

Don't think it's a dog, they can tend to drag their paws a bit. Cats are more precise... .

[netherfield]

Looks more like it

Titled 'tracking red fox'

[Castrol for a knave]

Gruffalo

[popeyewhite]

Not sure those prints look that similar. Do we have a resident forum animal tracker?

[theplayingmantis]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_Footprints...