Tracking tunnels are a great way to learn what’s in your garden or local reserve. An ink pad placed inside the tracking tunnel shows up the footprints of both predators (like rats or stoats) and native wildlife like geckos, insects and invertebrates (wētā)! As you trap more, you might find the prints of native wildlife more and more often.
Installing a tracking tunnel
Place the ink card inside the tunnel. Put some peanut butter on the central ink pad and leave out for a couple of days. The Kiwi Conservation Club has a great guide on how to build your own tracking tunnel.
Identifying tracks
Rat prints
Mouse prints
Stoat prints
Hedgehog prints
Gecko, skink and wētā prints
Credit: A Short Guide for Identifying Footprints on Tracking Tunnel Papers.