Wildlife Tracks and Traces: Indicators of Animal Activity

Wildlife Tracks, Scats and Traces: Indicators of Animal Activity

Wildlife tracks and traces provide invaluable insights into animals' presence, behaviour, and movements within the 16:6 area and the surrounding landscape. These signs—including footprints (also known as spoor), droppings (scat), nesting sites, tree rubbings, fur, feathers, and other physical evidence—offer a window into the lives of both native and introduced species.

Understanding and interpreting these traces is a key component of wildlife monitoring. It supports efforts to detect feral species, guide land management decisions, and promote conservation.

What is Spoor?

Spoor refers to any indication of animal activity, including footprints, scent, droppings, and disturbed vegetation. Studying spoor allows us to track, identify, and understand how animals interact with their environment.

An example of spoor is Kangaroo droppings. The high density and localised heavy browing not only identifies the species but attributes what species is likely to be causing the overgrazing impacts.

Emu droppings not only identy the species present but are also very informative as to the plants in the region. This is as often seeds pass though their gut complete and identifiable.

Common Types of Animal Traces

Tracks

Footprints left in soft substrates such as mud or sand can reveal a wide range of information, including the animal’s species, size, gait, speed, and behaviour (e.g. foraging versus fleeing).

All species living or travelling across the 16:6 Heritage Agreement leave identifiable prints that help with population tracking and ecological monitoring.

In fact we have identified human impacts in this way with footprints allowing us to initially ascertain that neighbours were using areas of 16:6 to access their land.

Goat tracks located on 16:6 . These indicate the presenece of Feral goats and have allowed for this to be added and verifed into the ststes Feral scan web site. From these foot prints we were able to establish that there was two adult and one kid passing through. In addition the prints occured after rain so we could link the passage to a set date.

Scat (Droppings)

Scat analysis is a non-invasive way to identify species, evaluate diet, and assess animal health.

Below are two examples illustrating the differences between a native species (bare-nosed wombat) and an introduced species (Red fox).

Fox Scat
Foxes are omnivores, and their scat reflects this diet. Fox droppings are often dark brown to black, typically thinner and more elongated than those of domestic dogs and commonly end in a pointed end.
Key identifiers include:

• Shape: Thin, elongated, often with a pointed end.
• Size: Approximately the length and width of a woman’s thumb.
• Colour: Dark brown to black, though may vary with diet. Weathered scats often appear white.
• Contents: Hair, seeds, berries, and occasional bone fragments.
• Smell: Distinct musky or "foxy" odour.
• Location: Typically placed in prominent locations like stumps or mounds, often as territorial markers.

 

Fox scat with animal bones present (Likely reptile vertebrea) 

Fox scat neatly deposited in a destinct place ontop of a mound of sand and small bush

Wombat Scat
Wombat droppings are famously cube-shaped—a unique trait distinguishing them from other animals.
Key characteristics:

• Shape: Cubic.
• Size: Approximately 2 cm wide and high.
• Colour: Brown.
• Texture: Dry and fibrous, often quite firm.
• Grouping: Found in clusters of 4–8.

Their Homes

Native Australian animals utilise a variety of shelters, including burrows, nests, and scrapes. We have identified the presence of some species through their Nests, Burrows and homes. Some times a nest or burrow may provide information by remnents of feather or fur.

There is also other homes such as, hollows with scratch marks, small burrows and diggings that we have observed but not as yet identified the rersident, including this small nest below that clearly indicate a smaller bird, however to date we have not  identified the species. 

An unknown small bird nest - possibly Thornbill or Warbler

Example of other homes, burrows and excavations.

Burrows

Burrows are common among mammals like wombats, providing refuge and temperature regulation.

Wombats create complex burrow systems to live in, with multiple entrances, interconnected tunnels, and sleeping chambers. These burrows can extend up to 30 meters long and several meters deep. Wombats often have multiple burrows within their home range and may also share their burrows with other wombats or other animals. Using wildflower cameras, we have recorded other animals, such as foxes and goannas, using these sanctuaries.

 

Image of a Goanna using a wombat warren system

Scrapes

Kangaroos and other marsupials use scrapes, areas of disturbed ground, for various purposes, including marking territory and displaying courtship behaviour. Often, Kangaroos lug a scrape in the soil beneath bushes or inside a Triodia ring, and they reuse these frequently. Scrapes in the cool earth assist on hot days and provide shelter and protection in inclement weather.

Nests

Depending on the species, birds build a range of nests, from mud bowls to hanging nests. Bird Nests can effectively identify species by examining the structure, location, and materials used in nest construction.

 Common nest types include cup nests, dome nests, suspended nests, and mud nests, each associated with particular bird species or families.

Observing where a nest is built—whether in the canopy, shrubs, tree hollows, or on the ground—can provide important clues. Additionally, the choice of construction materials, such as twigs, grass, bark, feathers, and even spider silk, further aids in distinguishing between species. This method of nest analysis is a valuable tool in avian monitoring and ecological research.

Of course, our most distinct nest on 16:6 is that of the Mallee Fowl, with its large mound of earth scraped together and often covered with a deep layer of compostable vegetation

Another nest we find from time to time is that of the White Winged Chough (a locally rare bird species)

White-winged Choughs build large, mud-bowl nests on horizontal branches, often high in trees. They use mud, sometimes supplemented with dung, to construct the nest, which can take several months to build if there is insufficient moisture.

 

Tree Rubbings

Feral deer and goats rub against trees to mark territory or relieve skin irritation, especially during mating seasons. These rubbings can strip bark and leave visual indicators of animal presence and behaviour.

Additional signs of wildlife include broken branches, trampled vegetation, and scent markings.

Evidence of Kangaroos damaging small bushes as the joeys box and play

Signs of Foraging Activity

Evidence of animal foraging can be identified through various markings and disturbances in the environment. These may include dug-up soil, chewed vegetation, scattered feathers, or disturbed plant matter—each indicating the presence and feeding behaviour of specific species.

In areas inhabited by wombats, one notable sign of foraging is the excavation of the introduced thread iris (Iris pseudacorus), which wombats dig up in search of edible roots or shoots. These disturbances are often broad and shallow, reflecting the strength and digging behaviour of this burrowing marsupial.

Echidnas also leave distinctive foraging signs. While they primarily feed on termites, echidnas are known to forage in ant nests and are opportunistic feeders that consume insect larvae and worms. Their foraging is characterised by irregular, conical holes in the soil. Using their highly sensitive snouts—capable of detecting electrical signals emitted by prey—they dig energetically, pushing soil backward beneath their bodies. This foraging method often leaves messy, shallow holes with a central pointed indentation, where the echidna has inserted its snout to extract prey.

These foraging signs provide evidence of species presence and offer insight into feeding habits and ecological roles within the landscape.

Echidnas digging and pokingn the soil seeking ants and grubs

 

Interpreting Tracks and Traces

By carefully analysing track size, shape, stride length, and the spatial arrangement of traces, we can determine which species have been present and their numbers, movement patterns, and behaviours. This is a foundational skill in ecology, conservation, and land management.

Example: Kangaroo tracks often reveal directional movement, group size, and social interactions; these trails are narrower than the wide flat ones created by wombats. 

 

Why Understanding Local Wildlife Matters

Ecosystem Health

A robust ecosystem includes a mix of predators, herbivores, and decomposers.

The variety and presence of species in an area reflect the overall health and balance of the ecosystem. This information helps us with how we manage our land practices, where to lay baits and where to set up cameras. .

Managing Domestic and Feral Animals

Recognising signs of animal activity enables proactive management of potential conflicts, such as threats to native species or property damage. Remote wildlife cameras have been deployed across the region to monitor the presence and movement of foxes, goats, and feral cats.

Fox print on Section 227 

Biodiversity Awareness

Understanding local fauna enhances our connection to the natural world.

Recording animal traces over time allows monitoring shifts in species distribution and population trends. These changes can indicate pressures such as habitat degradation or human impact.

This is a fairly basic overview of the Tracks, scats and traces across the heritage agreement.

We shall sign off here with a range of footprints and signs that we have photographed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Thankyou for reading this post and please dont hesitate to contact us for updates and ammendment. Or to provide additional images that we can use! With Kind regards the 16:6 crew

 

Humans leave our tracks and traces