2021 Update- Focus on Felines!

Hello Trackers,
Thank you for your continued support and data during this slow period of the tracking transect program. However we have a fun opportunity to focus your tracking effort!

Later this year Sky Island Alliance will be announcing the 1,000 Cats Project! This bi-national project will bring together Mexican and American sister parks, conservation non-governmental organizations, students, and private ranchers in a joint effort to document and communicate the presence of cats across the Sky Island region. With goal to document at least 1,000 cat detections in 2021, this project will raise awareness of the feline habitat human communities live within and inspire local solutions to improve habitat quality and safety for wild cats.

While this project hasn't officially launched, we need your help to start collecting data and documenting cat tracks to help inform our work.

Don't forget the key elements of cat tracks:

• Asymmetrical
• Trapezoidal plantar pad
• Three lobes at the bottom of the pad
• Small thin claws if present at all

If you wish to remain at your existing transects to do this tracking please do so, but this is project is not limited to the transects. If you see a cat track while out hiking, camping, or even doing yard work, submit it to this same Tracking Project page. You can still submit other wildlife tracks as you see them, but this year we would like to focus just on felines. Additionally you don't have to strictly follow the seasonal tracking windows.

However if you would like to see the 2021 calendar it is this:

• Winter: January 2-31
• Spring: March 13 - April 4
• Dry Summer: May 22 - June 13
• Monsoon: July 24 - August 15
• Fall: October 23 - November 14
Thank you, Meagan

Posted on February 8, 2021 03:47 PM by skyislandalliance