Animal Tracks and Signs

by Preben Bang, Ray Mears (Foreword), Preben Dahlstrom (Illustrator)

Animal Tracks and Signs was first published in English in the 1970s, and immediately established itself as an all-time classic. Totally unique in its accessible, down-to-earth approach and detailed coverage of more than 200 creatures, it is the only book in print that enables readers to
determine which animals have passed through the countryside by examining the traces they have left behind, opening up a captivating new world that might otherwise remain unseen.

Whether following footprints in mud, sand, or snow, feeding marks on cones, nuts, trees, and animal remains; homes and hiding places above and below ground; or feathers, pellets, and droppings, readers are taught how to identify the bird or mammal that has been before them, aided by hundreds of
beautiful, informative colour photographs, line drawings, and diagrams, and clear descriptions of the anatomy, behavior, movements patterns, and habitat of different species.

Quick-reference place sections compare actual-size prints, pellets, and droppings for fast identification on the move, covering such diverse wildlife as the shrew, hedgehog, fox, elk, and bear; the sparrow, kestrel, and eagle owl.

The new reissued edition includes a new Foreword by Ray Mears, who has found this book to be an invaluable point of reference throughout his career, and recommends it to students on his Bushcraft and Survival courses.

Genres: Nature, Reference, Animals, Nonfiction, Natural History

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would be suprised if someone were to show me a more detailed book on tracking animals by what they leave behind. Beautiful watercolours show you every pellet, stool, dropping, gnawed nut, pine cone and hoof print you could imagine. Some of the paintings of gulls pellets are exquisite. Details of hoof prints, gaits, how often the animal urinates and how to identify stools by smell. I can't wait for that pine martin to poo in our woodshed again, this time I feel confident to identify by it's perfumed musty aroma.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant. Diagrams of animal tracks and if you want to track wildlife which is a must for everyone.

[Harry Rutherford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers the whole range of signs of animal presence: tracks, droppings, gnawed seeds and cones, burrows and so on. It's translated from Danish, I think — something Scandinavian, anyway — so it covers all the British species plus a few like wolf and beaver that we haven't had here for a few centuries.

It's interesting to read and seems very good; I will probably never use it much as a field guide, which is what you would need to do to really get a handle on this stuff, because it's just an extra book to carry. The sooner all these guides are available as apps and ebooks the better.

But it's nice to have as a reference, and I've already learned at least one thing from it: I realised that a hole I found last year with the remains of a wasp nest at the bottom was probably dug up by a badger. So that's cool.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good range of wildlife signs primarily covering birds and mammals. Quite a wide area covered, so if you don't have some of the bigger animals in your area - for example, Britain doesn't have bears or wolves - a fair amount of the information will not be relevant, however it's still an interesting read.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very useful identification guide, the desciptions and images ensure that the book can be used by both amateurs and professionals, although it doesn't descibe/illustrate all of the possible tracks and signs for UK mammals but it does provide a good starting point