Identification Request - Help Needed

Can anyone say with relative certainty what animal these tracks are from? They're quite old photos, but a recent thread got me to hunt for them. You see, I'm personally under the impression that it's likely these are from a large cat, although such an animal does not officially exist in my area (VIC, Australia.) There is one other animal of appropriate size to make such large prints, my dog, a Great Dane. I personally consider that unlikely since he rarely if ever leaves our property unaccompanied (extremely well trained) and these were shot on our neighbor's property.

Three Distinct Shots.
(Second and third image slightly different angle of same print.)

The phone beside the marks for scale is 15cm long.

I apologise for how hard these tracks are to make out. If someone wants to try playing around with contrast levels or some such, go ahead.

Still, do you think these prints bear more resemblance to a big cat, or a Dane?
I'm leaning cat, but I could be wrong.

They are a little vague. My first thought is a kangaroo.

They are a little vague. My first thought is a kangaroo.

I'd consider dog more likely than roo. There would have also been the huge and obvious hind feet if that were the case.

These were just outside the fence of a chicken enclosure, by the way.

One thing that points toward dog is the claw marks, I believe.
Dingo is unlikely...

a reply to: Eilasvaleleyn

hi - can you supply a bit of context

accepting that your dog doesnt go trespassing - how have you eliminated someone elses large dog ?

if you suspect that an ABC is present in the area - do you // your neighbour have the recources to rake an area and leave some bait out

better still instal a trail cam ?????????????

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Because no one else owns a dog that large. However, that can never really be dismissed, which is why I am inquiring about the prints. There may be a feral one I am unaware of, for instance.

These pictures were taken years and years ago, and the presence of a large cat has never really been more than a "Maybe?"
At the very least, if there ever was one, it was just passing through. There are no unexplained deaths of animals that I am aware of, assuming a large cat would kill chickens in a way distinguishable from foxes, or attack horses.

In my experience, felines do not leave claw prints. This distinguishes them from canine prints.

a reply to: Eilasvaleleyn

hey - no worries - what i was really driving at was the possibility that someone travelling across the state stopped to strech thier legs - and thier dogs - and didnt care that they were trespasasing on your neighbours patch

hey - no worries - what i was really driving at was the possibility that someone travelling across the state stopped to strech thier legs - and thier dogs - and didnt care that they were trespasasing on your neighbours patch

They'd have to either climb over an electric fence, or walk a fairly long distance from the other side of the property up to the house to do that.

a reply to: ecapsretuo

Right, that's the main thing that makes me think "canine" is a fairly strong contender. The issue is that I can't think of a dog that would have made those tracks. I'm basically certain it wasn't our own, and no one else nearby owned one that large at the time. (That I am aware of.)
The other thing is that felines "usually" don't leave claw marks, not "always".
Would they extend their claws if they were hunting something? As I said, the prints were right next to a chicken enclosure...

originally posted by: Eilasvaleleyn
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a reply to: ecapsretuo

Right, that's the main thing that makes me think "canine" is a fairly strong contender. The issue is that I can't think of a dog that would have made those tracks. I'm basically certain it wasn't our own, and no one else nearby owned one that large at the time. (That I am aware of.)
The other thing is that felines "usually" don't leave claw marks, not "always".
Would they extend their claws if they were hunting something? As I said, the prints were right next to a chicken enclosure...

The "no claws" rule is a general rule - not black and white. The cheetah for example doesn't have retractable claws. Not saying it was a cheetah - just giving an exception on the rule.

If I may be so bold as to quote Wiki here:

...Cats can voluntarily extend their claws on one or more paws. They may extend their claws in hunting or self-defense, climbing, kneading, or for extra traction on soft surfaces. Most cats have five claws on their front paws, and four on their rear paws.
Article

In other words - while stalking the claws are generally retracted, but during the final moments of the hunt the claws would be retracted... And also when they move in - say, mud - it may be extended. Sadly the photographs are not clear enough. If you had better/more photographs and you could identify a paw with 4 claws and a paw with 5 claws you would have had better evidence for a feline...

Possibly Koala if they are in your neck of the woods.

tracks

a reply to: Gemwolf

The "no claws" are a general rule - but not black and white. The cheetah for example doesn't have retractable claws. Not saying it was a cheetah - just giving the exception on the rule.

For some reason I have "black panther" in my head as to what sort of animal it would be, if a cat. Are their claws retractable? (Something to do with US Military accidentally releasing them into the wild during WW2.)

In other words - while stalking the claws are generally retracted, but during the final moments of the hunt the claws would be retracted... And also when they move in - say, mud - it may be extended. Sadly the photographs are not clear enough. If you had better/more photographs and you could identify a paw with 4 claws and a paw with 5 claws you would have had better evidence for a feline...

The ground was fairly wet - as you can see - but not deep mud.

Sadly, those are the only photographs that exist. As I said, the pictures were taken several years ago, and those are the only ones we have. I wish there were more, but the ground itself isn't the most conducive for marks in the first place.

In the fourth picture, would you say there is evidence of claws, or those parts which may seem like claws are just natural parts of the ground? If there are no claw marks, that may make this more likely to be a cat.

I guess in the end, however, we'll just have to go with "Inconclusive" as a verdict.

a reply to: Kukri

There should be Koalas around somewhere, no idea what they'd be doing there though. Odd location. No eucalyptus trees anywhere close, would have to be a long migration of sorts.

a reply to: Eilasvaleleyn

It might be a Eastern Grey Kangaroo-those things can get quite big.

They also have a prominent toe and it's plain to see in the imprint. There are stories of rogue Roos and it has sparked legends of the megafauna that once existed down under.

Shame the pics are a bit vague, but it's difficult to take good pics of tracks. The heel pad (as far as can be distinguished from the last pic) looks like a canine. The overall symmetry of the track also looks canine. Along with claw marks that can be seen from 3 of the pads that look canine. Though cats do leave claw marks at times (for reasons already mentioned and sometimes for no apparent reason at all), but these look like dog claws. Inconclusive but likely to be dog (probably rear left foot?) .

originally posted by: Thecakeisalie
a reply to: Eilasvaleleyn

It might be a Eastern Grey Kangaroo-those things can get quite big.

They also have a prominent toe and it's plain to see in the imprint. There are stories of rogue Roos and it has sparked legends of the megafauna that once existed down under.

Do you mean two 'roo tracks side by side to make it look like one track? It doesn't look like that at all IMO, looks clearly to be one heel pad and four toes. Though I suppose it is unclear enough to be ambiguous.

a reply to: Eilasvaleleyn
canine, if you have measured out the gait and spread of the tracks it,ll help to work out what species

a reply to: suicideeddie

You're sure?

And no, no measurements. Just the photos, my apologies.

A wild dog? It would have to be quite large. My dog after all? I'm lax to accept that, but it seems the most plausible answer at this point.

A rough outline of the track below. It's a dog. Any chance you could get a couple of your own dog for comparison with tape measure for scale (say a front and rear left)? Have you checked this already?

a reply to: Cogito, Ergo Sum

No, no real reason to do so. Our dog doesn't really ever leave the property unaccompanied, and even if he had the prints are in a location that he shouldn't have been able to get to that easily (electric fence in the way.)
The only times he's left the property is when there has been no one home, the gate is open, and there are gunshots or thunder in the air. In those situations, he has gone straight up or down the road. To reach the location of these prints, he would have to go straight across the road, through an electric fence, then head to our neighbor's chicken coop.

Regardless, I wanted to know what type of animal it was, not the specific sub-species. We'll go with Canine: My Dog (or a Big Wild One, but probably My Dog). Thank you for your assistance.

I might try to get a comparative one the next time it rains, but I have no idea when that will happen.