Field Guide to Animal Tracks and Scat of California [Paperback]

Spotting an animals fresh footprints in the wild can conjure a world for the hiker: Why did the deer tracks disappear? Where did the cougar turn off the trail? What does it mean when two sets of footprints seem to coincide? This beautifully illustrated field guide, the first devoted to the tracks and signs of California animalsincluding birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates like spiders and beetlesblends meticulous science with field experience to provide an engaging companion for both armchair exploration and easy field identification. Filled with useful tools for the wildlife expert, and essential background and visual aids for the novice, including in-depth information about the ecology of each species, this book goes beyond basic recognition of types to interpret what animals leave behind as a way of seeing how they move through the world.

Mark Elbrochis a wildlife biologist and the author of numerous field guides includingMammal Tracks and Signs: A Guide to North American Species(winner of the National Outdoors Book Award),Petersons Field Guide to Animal Tracks, andPetersons Reference Guide to the Behavior of North American Mammals.Michael Kreskyis the founder and president of Effigy Art, a fine arts company in Santa Barbara.Jonah Evansis Research Biologist at Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Getting started
Quick reference: Sooted track plates
Chapter 3: Mammal Tracks and Trails
Chapter 4: Tracks and Trails of Bird and Other Animals
Quick reference: Tracks
Chapter 5: Animal Scats and scent marking behaviors
Quick reference: Scats
Chapter 6: Bird pellets
Quick reference: Pellets
Chapter 7: Mammal species accounts

Bibliography
About the authors

Outstanding. This is a brilliant work by the best in the field. Watching a great tracker at work can feel like watching lƒ½