e’re squatting in the mud in a culvert under Black Mountain Road,
just east of Los Peñasquitos
Canyon Preserve. Even in the shade provided by the four-
lane concrete-slab bridge, it’s 90 degrees. We’ve come out in a heat wave to learn how to look for evidence of animals in the dirt and help collect data for countywide wildlife surveys. We’re in the right place. Paw prints crisscross the spongy bank of the flowing creek, a popular watering hole in these drought conditions. Presence of water and adjacency to the preserve make this wildlife crossing a fitting classroom for
the San Diego Tracking Team. While kids played Saturday-morning
soccer in the park fields, we practiced looking for signs of the animals that come out at dusk and dawn to make their liv- ing near the preserve. At first glance we recognized the heart-shaped prints of mule deer, the sole type of deer in San Diego. There’s plenty of domestic dog, of course — instructors alerted us to the distinctions between our faithful compan- ions and other canines, like coyote. A dog track typically shows all four claws, while a coyote track usually registers only the inner two. Coyote tracks tend to be more oval, while dog prints are more circular (but can be slightly oval). To conserve energy coyotes walk a more direct path than pet dogs, which of course enjoy sniffing and
It’s estimated that there are 4000 to 6000 mountain lions roaming San Diego County.
exploring in all directions. With all tracks, there is a
variation in what registers — not every print is perfectly complete. Type and condi- tion of substrate determine how much of an impression an animal will leave. Mud makes for good tracks, while hard dirt, pebbles, and vegetation obscure the evidence. Some- times just a toe will show. Scat (a.k.a. poop) can be a more
MOUNTAIN LION COVER PHOTO BY FUSE/THINKSTOCK
reliable sign of an animal’s presence — it stays behind. Our teachers promised we would learn more about scat in the advanced classes. “The glamour track is
mountain lion,” said team president Denise Harter, who started tracking in 2006 when her daughter began to show an interest in “mythical beasts.” To redirect her energies, Harter signed up for animal track-
PHOTO BY BOB OLLERTON
PHOTO BY GARY SEISER
16 San Diego Reader February 25, 2016
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