My trip to Boyertown Park in the early afternoon of June 7th was eventful. The park's mowed areas are surrounded by deciduous forest, some parts denser than others. I figured I might have better luck spotting animals in the thick of it. While walking off-trail to try to find some small mammals, I instead found the track of a large one. This morning was a sunny, 73 degrees Fahrenheit day, but it had rained for the past two afternoons, so the ground was soft enough to capture this track:
White-tailed deer are the state animal of Pennsylvania. This medium-sized ungulate has reddish-brown fur at this time of year. Adult males are antlered, and juveniles' backs are spotted with white. They are aptly named due to a white spot of fur on the underside of their tail which they display when alarmed. I was first sure that this was a White-tail track because they are the only species of deer that I am sure occurs in Southeastern Pennsylvania. But I was able to verify the species with my mammal pocket guide (cited below). White tail hoof tracks have a slightly larger space between the thicker end of their toes than other even-toed ungulates.
Howell, C. H. (2016). National Geographic pocket guide to the mammals of North
America. National Geographic.

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