Pugmark or footprint means the mark left by the foot an animal during standing or moving state. Sometimes while looking for wild animals in an area, we are unable to see many animal species due to many reasons like mismatch of our time of visit and their time of movement. Even sometimes while searching the lost domesticated animal we are unable to see where the animal has gone. We can identify them or trace them where they have gone, by their pugmark (footprint).
Pugmark (footprint) is easy indirect evidence to find the presence of a species or to find out the direction where the animal would have gone. Pugmarks (footprints) are distinct species specific and are made by almost all terrestrial animal species whether it is a snail or a spider or an ant or a lizard or a tortoise or a bird or a mammal or any other. The pattern of pugmarks (footprints) of an animal is not always made same except for its morphological characteristics; they vary under different environmental, physical and mental conditions. For example, if the animal was walking slowly or roaming normally, its footprint will be complete, clearly marked and easily noticeable; but if the animal was walking hurriedly or running fast, either chasing someone or running for safety, then its footprint would be incomplete, partially marked and difficult to notice. Further by practicing, we can also distinguish the footprints of female and male individuals of a species (especially in Cat family). Apart from telling the occurrence of an animal in an area, its footprint tell us many things about it, for example, extent of distribution, diurnal behaviour, habitat preference, coexistence with other species, population estimation etc.
Image: Morphology of a Footprint
Here we shall discuss how we can identify the pugmarks/footprints of different animal species with the help of available keys; and how we can make tracing of the pugmarks on the paper. The pugmark tracings prepared by you will further help others as reference keys in identification of animal species indirectly (i.e. without seeing them). Through practice you will learn how to infer the population, sex, age, behavior, activities and role of animals
Material required-
1- Glass or transparent plastic tracer (10 inch length & 8 inch breadth)
2- Measuring scale or tape
3- Fine point temporary marker pen
4- Pencil & Eraser
5- Butter paper and White Paper
6- Transparent OHP sheet
1- Select the pugmark on the ground which is clear and complete and remove pebbles or any other such material surrounding it.
2- Place four equal size pebbles outside the four corners of the pug mark and place the tracer glass on them so that the pug mark is visible through the tracer.
3- Using marker pen mark the outer lines of the pugmark including claws, toe pads, heel pads and lines of the sole (see above diagram – morphology of a pugmark), on the tracer glass in dotted lines.
4- You can lift the tracer glass and bring to your table for further work or keeping it as such at the site, continue further work.
5- Take the butter paper and place it over the tracer glass, so that the drawing on the tracer is visible through the butter paper and using the pencil and eraser, copy the tracing of pugmark on the butter paper as seen from the tracer glass; draw the figure now with complete lines.
6- Also write the name of animal (if known), date, time, place & location at upper right corner of the butter paper. Remember this is the original size of the pugmark hence you should write size scale as '1-X' in the tracing details.
7- You can repeat the tracing on the white paper and /or OHP transparency (from the butter paper) with pencil or fine point pen for keeping the record and further use. Write all details on the final sheet the way it was written on the butter paper.
8- If possible, the tracings can be scanned and their digital copies can be stored in computer. If you process the digital copies of pugmark tracings in different size resolution then accordingly mention the proportion of size.
● Note the details like date, time, place & location and the name of person who did the tracing work in a diary for each pugmark.
● The measurement details of pugmark parts (e.g. total length & breadth, each toe pad length and breadth, heal pad length & breadth, gaps between toe pads & heal pad, comparative size of the toe pads and heal pad etc) should also be noted in the same manner.
● Apart from tracing the pugmark, also note the direction of the pugmarks, distance between pugmarks and comparative size of pugmarks of adults and juveniles of the same species.
● Make a record of animal species that occur in your area but you could not see them and now you have identified them through their pugmarks
● Make a record of animal species whom you know and their pugmarks have been recorded (this may include all domestic species and known wild species).
● Classify your record of species on the basis of different categories and criteria.
You can present your observations in the form of quantitative and/or qualitative data and inferences based on mathematical and statistical analysis.
Hand drawn sketches and photographs will be an additional record to display.
● Pugmark (Footprint) is easy indirect evidence to find the presence of a species
● Pugmarks (footprints) are distinct species specific
● Pugmarks (footprints) are made by almost all terrestrial animal species ranging from crawling snails to birds and mammals.
● The pattern of footprint of an animal is not always made same except for its morphological characteristics; they vary under different environmental, physical and mental conditions.
● We learn distinguishing the footprints of female and male individuals of a species (especially in Cat family).
● Apart from telling the occurrence of an animal in an area, its footprint also tells us about its distribution, behaviour, habitat, population and community characteristics.
● We can easily make tracings of pugmarks (footprints) of various animal species found in our area and make a record of species-wise keys for different animal classes.
● By tracing work, we understand the morphology, dimensions, comparative sizes, patterns of markings of the pugmarks (footprints) of different animal species.
● Why the left hind leg pugmark is compared in the identification of male and female leopard or tiger?
● How do snakes mark their footprints? How can you distinguish the footprints of snakes?
● What is Ecological Footprints? Explain with example.
How to get good pugmark?
For getting clear and complete pugmarks in the field you can select a path where wild animals are supposed to move. Take dry fine soil and spread it on the path in some length and width so that if any animal would walk over it then clear impression of pugmarks will be made on the fine soil layer.
How to differentiate pugmarks of canidae (dog family) and felidae (cat family)?
● In both families the pugmark is formed having four toes with a heel pad.
● In Canidae (the dog family, e.g. Wolf, Wild Dog, Domestic Dog, Jackal, Fox, Hyena etc) animals the toe pads are larger than the heal pad (as an adaptation for easily running down the prey) whereas, in Felidae (the cat family, e.g. Tiger, Lion, Leopard other wild cats and domestic cat) hunting is done mostly by stealth and to facilitate that, the heal pad is larger than the toe pads.
● In canids the claws marks are formed in front of the toe pads whereas in felids the claws are retractable hence (except in defense or attack mode) under normal conditions the claw marks are not formed in the pugmark.
● In canids the middle toe pads in all four legs are at different level whereas in felids the two middle toes occur side by side (aligned) in the front legs and at different level in hind legs.
● How to distinguish front leg and hind leg pugmarks?
● In dog and cat family the hind leg pugmarks are smaller than the front leg pugmark
● In cat family the two middle toes occur side by side (aligned) in the front legs and at different level in hind legs.
● The front legs are used in hunting and holding the prey therefore pugmark breadth of front legs is generally more than pugmark breadth of the hind legs.
● In cats the pugmark breadth of front legs is more than pugmark length.
