Animal Tracks: An Introduction to the Tracks & Signs of Familiar North American Species (North American Nature Guides) [Pamphlet]

James Kavanagh (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1583550720 | ISBN-13: 978-1583550724 | Publication Date: May 1, 2000 | Edition: 1st

Complete and concise, this field reference details tracks and signs of more than 65 North American mammals and birds. Laminated for durability, this handy guide also features a ruler for measuring animal tracks and is ideal for field use by novices and experts alike.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Animal Tracks, An Introduction to Tracks and Signs of Familiar North American Species, is a must-have reference guide for beginners and experts alike. This guide allows you to quickly identify the tracks and signs of common mammals and birds. The folded format allows for easy comparison of similar tracks, and a ruler is included on the back panel for easy measuring. The Pocket Naturalist(tm) series is an introduction to common plants and animals and natural phenomena. Each pocket-sized, folding guide highlights up to 150 species and most feature a map identifying prominent sanctuaries and outstanding natural attractions. Each is laminated for durability. (31/2 X 81/4 folded, opens to 22 X 81/4, illustrations)

About the Author

James Kavanagh is the author of more than 300 pocket guides on nature, science, travel, and languages. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Product Details

• Pamphlet: 1 pages
• Publisher: Waterford Press; 1st edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583550720
• ISBN-13: 978-1583550724
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 2.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #276,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Wildlife
  • #28 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Skimpy, but light, January 27, 2006

By 

R Schmidt (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Animal Tracks: An Introduction to the Tracks & Signs of Familiar North American Species (North American Nature Guides) (Pamphlet)

This field guide is not a book. It is a laminated, 1 piece, 6-fold brochure. There are 54 mammal tracks and pictures (including a Virginia opossum and a nine-banded armadillo), 18 bird tracks (no pictures here), 10 diagrams of sign (like a beaver cutting), and 11 diagrams of scat (you know what I mean). The lack of pictures of the birds is puzzling, as you are much more likely to see a pigeon or a dark-eyed junco than a mountain lion.

The mix of species is eclectic. I mean, when will you need to know the tracks of a mountain goat at the same time as an eastern mole, or a grizzly bear and a roadrunner? The quality is good, but the track drawings are very small. Most mammal track drawings are about 1/2 inch in length.

This seems very expensive at $5.95. I'd say a more appropriate price is $1.95. Consider putting additional money into obtaining a copy of A Field Guide to Animal Tracks (Peterson Field Guides), or a Field Guide to Mammal Tracking in North America by James C. Halfpenny. On the other hand, Animal Tracks is very light. If weight and space are considerations, the cost may be worth it.

To the authors, I'd recommend one panel being made clear or white, so tracings can be made right on this pamphlet with a wax pencil or dry erase marker. The alternative for the user is to put some post-it note pages inside. They stick very well.

For the schoolteacher, try to buy these in bulk. They would be very nice to hand out to a class of 20-30 students on a hike, and afterwards would be easy to clean and store in the classroom. If you can't find any tracks, have a track-making contest!

Now onward to the trail!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for camping and scouting, August 1, 2009

By 

Patricia Dooley "Patricia Dooley" (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Animal Tracks: An Introduction to the Tracks & Signs of Familiar North American Species (North American Nature Guides) (Pamphlet)

This is sold in our Cub Scout store and on the official scout website. It is a basic beginner's guide. It is great for a broad range of animals in a variety of camping/hiking areas. it is laminated AND thin so that it is easy to back pack or even carry in a fanny pack. This was never meant to be the perfect solution for identifying everything (we don't have Coati here)...there are much thicker and less protected (read as paper)books for that (look at Peterson's if you want something more detailed, but not worth using on a hiking trip with cub scouts or younger youth-family).

I have most of these laminated sheets as I am a den leader and we are on the move in the "wilderness" a lot. I also camp with my children and it is perfect for them to use also AND I don't have to worry about muddy, wet hands destroying the page. No, the tracks on the guide are not large, but we are not experts here and aren't looking for a dissertation on its lope.

I recommend most of these for families with children who are interested in identifying that track they saw on their walk.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars There are much better options..., January 10, 2010

By 

Biomedman (Boston, MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Animal Tracks: An Introduction to the Tracks & Signs of Familiar North American Species (North American Nature Guides) (Pamphlet)

This pocket guide is OK for showing you what the tracks look like; however, it doesn't differentiate between walkers, bounders, wide walkers/waddlers and leapers. Nor does it tell you what the stride or straddle is, which is a very important aspect. I instead opted for the Mammal Tracker pocket laminated card from Interpretive Wildlife Programs and blew it up a bit (it's kinda small otherwise) and bring a plastic ruler with me. For decent tracking you need to know 1) how big the prints are, 2) the formation they're in, 3) the length of the stride and 4) the width of the straddle. Of course, a basic understanding of the habits and habitat of the mammals you are tracking goes a long way to narrowing things down. If you aren't sure, lay your ruler down next to the prints and take a picture; then you can study it when you get home. Above all...have fun! Try tracking one set of prints as far as they go; you might get lucky and find a den, lay or the animal itself!