Tracks & Signs

[Jay]

Any trackers out there who want to have a go at this?

Signs are just as useful as actual tracks. Can you tell what made the sign in the photos and take a guess at how old the sign is? I'll grant that its not easy to do in two dimentions.....But give it a try. I'll be away for a couple of days but should be back by Monday.

[Rick]

It looks like a bedding area to me. Judging from the size of the leaves I'd guess a small animal. Perhaps the size of a rabbit.(?)

[crashdive123]

I'm seeing a few broken twigs and some matted down vegetation so I would also think bedding area. Not sure what animals are indigenous to Sri Lanka, but some sort of small game.

[Beowulf65]

Hard to say and I do a lot of tracking here in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. Sri Lanka is hard, especially from a pick of you looking at the ground we need a side view and maybe even a ground view. Since Sri Lanka has everything from elephants and leopards, to deadly vipers and cobras are among over 90 species of snakes found in Sri Lanka. There are also many species of lizards, Black widow spiders. Centipedes of unusual size and speed, crocodiles, monitors and aquatic turtles plus your famous sloth bear (Ursus ursinus).
So I would ask what area of Sri Lanka is this in to give me a better idea.
Oh I spent four months there when in the military, had a great time.

[trax]

By the way the sticks are broken around there, I'd want to go with a bedding area too. Something larger than what Rick was talking about I'd say, but I'm not sure by the photos. Of course, we're all getting to look at the same photos. My first thought was that a person was in there and stumbling around a bit, broke up the branches and crushed a fairly good sized area of the ground cover.

[Beowulf65]

Was it maybe a spotted deer or its cousin, the sambar?

[Jay]

It's a little dificult with just a pic...but Trax is right on the money. A soldier was resting here during lunch break. Way to go Trax!!!
This is in the north central province.
Beo, Great to hear u were in SL. When was this? A couple of my friends and I did some talks on jungle food and the jungle in general in the mid 90's for some of your SEAL's who were here. Could it be that we have actually met???

[trax]

Naw Dude, if you'd met Beo you'd be walking around in knee high mocassins speaking Mohican by now :D (He has that effect on people)

[Rick]

Jay - Without knowing that it was a soldier sitting there and boot prints aside. What keys would tell you that it was a man vs. a larger animal?

[Beowulf65]

We were about 20 miles east of Matale along the Mahaweli Ganga River in 1986, doing training. It was a good time and the instructors were incredible with knowledge and instruction of tracking. Matale if I remember was a hilly area and the knuckle mountains were special to the people. Had some tea there as that is what the instructors drank and it was real good. Met an author but most of his name I can't remember Siri was his first or last name. He was a nice guy.

Trax that is more of today in Moc's than in the 80s :D and it'd be split seam or pucker toe, maybe even a pair of Canadian Oxhide shoes called the Souliers de boeuf in the old days :D

[trax]

Rick, A man will move around more in the same sized area (takes longer to get comfy) and move around usually more clumsily, more snagged branches, broken twigs etc. Unless I suppose he's trained and trying to be careful.

[klkak]

Any trackers out there who want to have a go at this?

Signs are just as useful as actual tracks. Can you tell what made the sign in the photos and take a guess at how old the sign is? I'll grant that its not easy to do in two dimentions.....But give it a try. I'll be away for a couple of days but should be back by Monday.

It's hard to tell without something in the photo's of known size to use as a comparison. I'm gonna have to go with something large and clumsy like a human.

When I take pictures of tracks or sign I usually put my Leatherman supertool 2000 (either open or closed) in the pic for size reference. It helps greatly when I review the pic's at a later date. I have a good friend who is a CSI who suggested I do this.

[Rick]

Great guess, klkak. Now why didn't I think of that!:D

[klkak]

Rick, I'm glad I could help you.......i think......,

[Jay]

Jay - Without knowing that it was a soldier sitting there and boot prints aside. What keys would tell you that it was a man vs. a larger animal?

Rick, sorry for the delay in replying....I was away frm home.

Although not clearly visible in the photo..there were boot heel prints and and the grass was flattend under his butt. he had sat with his knees drawn up halfway and his boot heels had dug into the ground. Very fain signs but visible if you look closely.