Posted on 01/25/2022 10:45:55 PM PST by nickcarraway
A picture of paw prints left in the morning frost at a Texas park has people guessing what creature could have made them – and most are guessing wrong.
In their defense, a wide variety of wildlife calls Big Bend National Park home, according to the National Park Service.
On Jan. 14, the park shared a picture on Facebook of animal tracks spotted on a nature trail boardwalk, challenging the public to guess which of Big Bend’s many residents left their mark.
“Porcupine? Large cat like puma, bobcat?” one person suggested.
“The shorter stride would suggest a smaller animal,” said another. “Maybe a fox?”
Some weren’t afraid to think outside the box: “That’s a classic chupacabra print if I’ve ever seen one.”
The park service let their participants stew for a couple days before finally revealing the answer: a skunk.
“We believe the tracks were left by a skunk who was out for an early morning stroll,” the Facebook post said.
A handful of folks answered correctly, including one man who seems to possess a deep knowledge of skunks — and even put park officials to the test.
“I’m going with skunk,” he said. “Bonus question: What species? I think the park has Western-spotted, Striped, Hog-nose, and sometimes Hooded.”
“Great answer!” officials responded. “We believe they are skunk tracks as well, and wildlife cameras in the park have confirmed that Big Bend is indeed home to the four species you mentioned.”
Situated in far West Texas, and bordering Mexico, Big Bend park makes up 800,000 acres of desert, boasting 75 species of mammals, from rabbits and bats, to bears and cougars. There are also 450 species of bird, 56 kinds of reptile, and 11 varieties of amphibian.
coatimundi
A composite deck board is 5.5” in width.
2x6 or 2x8 I’m going with 2x8
Not a bear. Likely skunk or pocupine.
Call TONTO.
illegal
That’s a bar (bear). It has 5 toes.
Thanks, wasn’t sure on the size. I’m guestimating the track to be about 3-4 inches then. A bit small for,bear unless it was a cub. There were no claw marks, so likely not bear or dog
Raccoon
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