January 2020 Natural Mystery Answered

These are all features of mustelid tracks, and identify our track maker as some sort of weasel. Anne Marie notes that the tracks “look too small for Fisher and too big for long or short tail weasel.” But she also noted that we cannot rule out marten based on size alone.

Kim explores explores the difference between Mink and marten in more detail:

"The toes are pretty clear, indicating that the bottoms of the feet are pretty bare. That's more typical of mink than marten. Mink and marten are close in size, sometimes use the same habitats, and both use the 2X2 lope gait. But, these tracks show more details in the snow than I think a marten would."

I'll also note that Keller Regional Park in the Twin Cities is about 150 miles south of the closest marten observations posted on iNaturlaist.

Now about that track pattern.

Kim notes that “The pattern is evident because you can see all four tracks, with the hinds on top of the fronts.” While Kirsten similarly points out that “This picture shows a double register (hind track registering atop the front track) on each side of the body." Yet they named the pattern differently. In fact, the group was evenly divided in what it called this pattern with two people calling it a “2x2 lope,” two calling it a “2x2 bound,” and one fully inclusive person calling it a “2x2 lope or bound.”

So which is it? And does it matter?

There is not yet a consensus in the tracking literature, with both 2x2 lope and 2x2 bound being used—sometimes by the same author. The important considerations for us are if we can recognize this distinctive track pattern of the weasel family and communicate to our fellow trackers. And it seems we are able to do that, despite the uncooperative terminology.