Scats and Tracks of the Pacific Coast

After spotting many different animals on my property in this area, and finding countless more "scats & tracks" all over the area, I decided to learn a little about what was roaming my yard when I was not looking. For this purpose, scats & tracks has been invaluable at helping to identify the creatures, small and large, that roam the area of the south-central coastal region of California. It has illustrations sized-to-life, and is small enough to carry in a pouch as a feild guide. Much recommended.

This small field guide supposedly covers the extreme western United States, but many of the animals illustrated also range into the the Northern Rockies and western Canada so this book is useful for most of western North America. There are two pages for each of the 70 mammals, birds and reptile/amphibians. Every animal has a small-scale range map, overall sketch, sketch of its droppings, large sketch of forward and rear footprints and a sketch of the pattern left by several footprints. I found the latter especially useful since many times the individual tracks are not too clear, especially in sand or dry snow, but the track pattern provides a positive identification. This lightweight, pocket-sized format makes it convenient to carry. Highly recommended for hikers, campers and nature buffs.