Muskrat tracks walking down the trail at Kehoe. Not a common observation in this area. Could use more ID’s.
It was the only track of this morphology found in the area. Dirt trail through thick chaparral. Not what I consider classic jackrabbit habitat, but the morphology and size seems consistent. Added a distribution map from Tremor et al. 2017 (SD County Mammal Atlas).
Verified. Praying Mantis verified tracks moving up in the frame. We I watched this praying mantis make this trail Borrego Landfill dunes Nov 20 - 2023. The final photo was taken by Dick Chadwick showing the mantis making the trail. The tracks are washed out in this final image, but the body drag is evident.
First impression: grackle or thrasher. Many tracks In a weedy dune sand environment, where we would expect Meadowlark. No water for miles makes great tailed grackle unlikely here in the Sonoran desert. Appeared to have been a flock, which is more fitting of Meadowlark than thrasher. All gaits were a walk… no running. Poppele and Elbroch compare Meadowlark tracks to Thrasher, magpie and grackle.