Lect 6 scats and tracks, walk debrief 2013

OEEDU5003 Connecting with Nature

Week sixTracks, scats and reviewing the walk.

Tracks, Scats & other Signs

TRACKS

• What are the best surface types to find tracks? – Snow, mud, sand, creek banks, road side dust,

dried puddles, beaches• When is the best time to observe tracks ?

– In the morning, can estimate age of track by amount of weathering

• What does size of track show? – Juvenile/adult, male/female?

• What are the different structures of feet? – Toes, claws, number of pads, arrangement, amount

of foot on ground, shape of print• Sand boxes

Gaits

• What gaits do Australian species use?– Hop, bound, run, jump, waddle, crawl, slide

or creep

• What does stride length show?• Gaits of introduced species?

– Walk, trot, gallop

• Using Triggs book, have a go at ID’ing A to G, pp. 8-9

• Check your answers!

Who did these??

Scats: Carnivore

• Characteristics?

• Cylindrical (sausage) shape, fragments of bone, twist of hair at one end of scat

• May have white chalky substance on outer layer (from bones)

• Strong odour

• Variations in scats: diet, seasonal change, age

• Territorial markers

Scats: herbivores

• Lots of herbivores!• Look at the size of the poo.• What’s in it? Marsupials extract moisture – dry

grass in poo.• Consider main diet – Koala (leaves).• Consider place – Wombats wipe their bum!• Kangaroos and Wallabies groom – so can have

hair mixed in.• Koala rarely and Wombats never groom.

SCATS

• Why is scat ID important?• Identify species of animals in area (many

nocturnal animals)– Also what eaten & when

• Guide to animal size, weight, age• Herbivores – general characteristics?• dark brown, black, dark green

– Fibrous plant material– Large quantities– Weathered: lighter color– Usually groups of pellets

OTHER TRACES?

• Shelters: open grassland, hollows in trees, under logs, burrows, tunnels, grassy nests, caves, forks of trees (coppice), house cavities

• Claw marks, diggings• Landing places• Paths• Bones (anatomy similar)

• Effect on vegetation

Borhoneyghurk Common

A transformed landscape

Understanding landscape controls

• Rocks own the site (largely determine what can occur. Soil over time?)

• Climate manages the site (water critical element in SE Aust. Creates and limits possibilities)

• Biota occupy the site (subject to rock and climate influences)

• Aspect imposes site restrictions (north sloping vs south sloping)

• Humans???

Reflect on the trip (pairs)

• What aspects of this trip were useful in developing connections?– Contrast with a canoe or climbing trip?– What is the role of knowledge? Eg, flora,

history.– Role of experiential elements? Walking,

looking, camping?

• What made sense and worked best for you?

Assessment items - progress?

• The Nature Diary (3 visits minimum) – Place?– Visits to date?– Frame of reference?– Reflections on connection to place?

• Final due date and presentation summary October 17th.

Assessment items - progress?

• Assessment 2– What are you planning on doing?– Need to see me about trips now, so you can

start planning– Do you need time in class to present?