Who owns these footprints?

[shivvy]

I was outside in the snow last night and my dog was very interested in these pawprints.
I was wondering if anyone could identify what might have left them.
They were approx 20 - 30 cms apart and interestingly loooked as if they were in a straight line instead of some being to the left and some to the right.which I would have expected to see from a 4 legged animal.

http://s303.photobuck...sinsnow16Dec10006.jpg

http://s303.photobuck...sinsnow16Dec10001.jpg

[NazNomad]

Could be a fox, they'll walk in a straight line like that, they can easily walk along the top of a fence-panel with no problems. And your dog would be very interested in a foxy aroma.

[dotty.]

were they on your property or out in the open land? It's probably a hopping bird looking for food

[seadogg]

Why isn't this a fox on the trot ?

[seadogg]

Sorry Naz, hadn't seen your post.

[B00]

Wasn't a llama was it?

[shivvy]

Definately not a rabbit, neighbour or bird.
The tracks were across an open area of land and into a field with no other marks around them.
Think I'll google a pic of fox footprints Naz.

[jackthehat]

Ha !

Yes, shivvy.............are you near Watford ?

I think we can rule out the wombat, eh, B00 ? :o)

[coccinelle]

I have prints like that in my garden and it's a squirrel.

[HabDabs]

Looks like a polecat has run across the field

[shivvy]

http://www.flickr.com...64643@N00/3249988053/

Think I'm gonna settle with a fox (though the prints I saw were straighter than this pic. The snow was approx 5 inches deep so that has made it harder to identify I suppose.

Thanks everyone.

[dotty.]

http://www.google.co....s:17&biw=1024&bih=578

This is foxprints in snow and so a likely answer

[Escutcheon]

I'm sure that it's a fox, especially as you live out in the open. The others mentioned usually go home at nighjt - the fox goes on the prowl =. If you arrived aerly enough you would have smelt it too. They don't half pong!

[jomifl]

It looks like the imprint made by a small mammal hopping along towards the camera. The two little humps on one end are made by its front legs when it jumps, the sloping trough at the other end by its body when it lands. There appears to be the thin groove made by a rat like tail also at the trough end , so I would guess a rat or large mouse, having no idea of the scale. next time lay a rule by the marks so as to give a scale.

[shivvy]

Thanks for the offer of rodent jomifl but as I say, the snow was approx 5-6 inches deep which might have been a stretch for a rat or large mouse.

[Hometownglory]

Had any sightings of big cats in your area?
Big cats do something called paw replacement where when trying to walk quietly (stalk) they'll put their back paws exactly where their front paw had just been to minimalise sounds made by their paws.
Would explain the two tracks in a straight line.....

[shivvy]

Hhmmmm . . .

[burnhal]

Today I watched my moggie walking across the garden through the snow. Guess what.........she carefully puts her rear paws in the holes made by her front feet. Result is a line of footprints that look suspiciously like they were made by a two legged creature!!!