Animal Tracks

Hi Murray and Greg

I have spoken to a couple of Elders, and showed them a print out of the photo which Murray kindly sent me, and Greg is quite correct, it is the tracks of a Mulgara that has been injured.

I inintially thought either a Tiger Quoll or very large feral cat, but one old man from the NT told me that it is definitely the tracks of a Mulgara.

Cheers

Marc...I am constantly blown away by the knowledge of some people. Your reply to this post has done just that.

Sadly it's a culture and a way of life that is slowly being eroded away.

I'd give my left "you know what" to be as clued up as that.

Fab.

Hi Fab72

It was not my knowledge that I shared, but that of the Elders here. I will not take credit for knowledge that I do not possess.

Cheers

Mark & Greg
I have checked out the Mulgara on the web, amazing how a thing so small can leave a print so big that you think that it is a 100 tines bigger. My daughter who was with me at the time will be disappointed as she thought as well as myself that it was a big cat or dingo. Marc thanks again for the helpfull info.

Murray

Looking at the link to a Mulgara it hardly seems likely to be the culprit. According to that site the animal is not much larger than a pack of cigarettes, the photo shows prints of a much larger animal.

Cheers Neil

Those tracks are from a Rabbit, the one near the ciggi packet are where it stood still, the ones heading up are when it moved on, as you can see there looks to be another set of track further up.

The Mulgara only grows to between 15.2 cm and 22 cm so for it to have a foot print bigger than a ciggi packet is not possible, they also have up to a 13 cm tail as you can see there is no evidence of a tail in the photo.

Mulgara

Hi landseka

I made the same comment to the Elders, and they pointed out the obvious, soft sand. When anything walks through soft, powdery sand the tracks are much, much larger than should be expected, as the actual tracks are left and indented into the sand, and the outer edges of the tracks also go down and increase the size of the track exponentially.

3GoBush, please have a look at the biggesty footprint, and you will note that other than the obvious injury, there are more 'pads' than you would see on a rabbit track.

Have a great weekend.

So you have spent 30 years with elders and been through law, from this you you can tell me that an animal that is 22 cm long, that is 2 cm longer than twice the lenght of the packet of cggies can make a foot print larger than the packet it self then have a foot print nearly 5 times wider than it is longer, then have a limp????

The prints near the packet are one set, this is were it stood still then when it moved it then made the next set, the ones to the top of the packet are another set, as I said it looks like there is another set above that which continue, by the way I have lived and worked with Arnhemland and Kakadu elders for nearly 40 years, I also have a skin name.

Hi 3GoBush

I was but sharing what one of the Elders from the NT said to me from the photo, and I am not going to argue the point with an Elder. He pointed the back left portion of the print out as an injury, and who am I to argue, but there you go. I do not have the knowledge or skill to assess such information from a print.

I also belong to a skin group (Tjupurula) but knowing that would mean nothing to others in general on this forum, see no reason to state such. Obviously there are some, such as yourself, who understand skin law, but the majority would not.

Have a great weekend, or what's left of it.

Cheers

OK you blokes.

Firstly, I have never heard of or seen a Mulgara and a quick Google didnt help.
Can anyone please pop a picture up.

Secondly, Marc / 3GB, not sure what Skin Law is, so a quick Google brought up things like Nivea Cream, Moisterisers and skin care.
Pretty sure thats not what your talking about....lol.

I think I may have a very vague idea what Skin Law may be but interested in a short explaination. [then I have learned something new today].


Cheers.......Lionel.

Hahahaha, obviously had a coughing fit on the spot, hence the strange prints as it staggered around.

You mean ant bears? Some of the holes do look like that. I can identify game fish at 100 yards, but animal tracks like in the photo are well out of my area of expertise.
Just gammon with the 'drop bear' comment too - no offence - my silly sense of humour.