December is the Month of Snow

December is the month of snow and ice, of short and dark days.

On December 22, we have the shortest day and the longest night of the year.

When snow covers the ground, you have a good chance to look for the tracks of animals. The track will show their gait and the speed at which the animal moved.

The rabbit usually moves by bounds. The tracks of the hind feet are placed in pairs and in front of the forefeet. The tracks of the forefeet are smaller, and one is placed a little ahead of the other. If the distance between two groups of tracks is one or two feet, the rabbit did not hurry; if it is six or seven feet, the rabbit moved very fast.

Squirrels and mice also usually move by bounds.

The track of a fox is like the track of a cat. They set one foot in front of the other when they walk and step with the hind feet in the track of the forefeet. But the paws of the fox are bigger. In deep snow, the fox’s tail also leaves a track.

Birds make different kinds of tracks. Small birds leave light, thin marks on the snow, often near trees or bushes. You can sometimes see where they have searched for food. Larger birds, such as crows, leave deeper and wider tracks. Deer tracks are easy to recognize too — they look like two long narrow marks. If the snow is fresh, you may follow these tracks and see where the animal has gone.