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We saw several tracks on the muddy sections of the trail. These are from These are the tracks of a **Wild Boar** (*Jabalí*).
In the soft, drying mud of the Somiedo mountains, these prints are quite distinct. Here is how you can tell they belong to a boar rather than a deer or a goat:
### 1. The "Dewclaws"
The most telling sign in your photo is the two small indentations behind the main hooves (visible on the right-hand print).
* **Boar:** Their lateral hooves (dewclaws) are set lower and wider than a deer's. In soft mud like this, they almost always leave these two distinct "dots" or "slashes" behind the main hoof.
* **Deer:** A deer's dewclaws are set much higher and usually only show up if the animal was running or the mud was extremely deep.
### 2. The Shape
The two main toes of a boar are more **rounded and blunt** at the tips. If this were a deer, the tips would be much pointier, forming a heart shape. If it were one of the goats you saw earlier, the print would be more parallel and rectangular.
### 3. The "Cloven" Gap
Notice how the toes are slightly spread apart. Boars have a very flexible hoof structure that spreads out to help them maintain traction on the steep, slippery slopes of the **PR-AS 11**.
### 4. Context of the Trail
Since you are near the **Braña de Mumián**, you are in prime boar territory. These animals love to "root" around the edges of the beech forests you just walked through, looking for tubers, fallen beechnuts, and larvae in the soil.
***
**Pro-tip for your hike:** If you see large patches of earth that look like they've been "plowed" or turned over recently, that's a sign the boar was there very recently looking for breakfast!
In the soft, drying mud of the Somiedo mountains, these prints are quite distinct. Here is how you can tell they belong to a boar rather than a deer or a goat:
### 1. The "Dewclaws"
The most telling sign in your photo is the two small indentations behind the main hooves (visible on the right-hand print).
* **Boar:** Their lateral hooves (dewclaws) are set lower and wider than a deer's. In soft mud like this, they almost always leave these two distinct "dots" or "slashes" behind the main hoof.
* **Deer:** A deer's dewclaws are set much higher and usually only show up if the animal was running or the mud was extremely deep.
### 2. The Shape
The two main toes of a boar are more **rounded and blunt** at the tips. If this were a deer, the tips would be much pointier, forming a heart shape. If it were one of the goats you saw earlier, the print would be more parallel and rectangular.
### 3. The "Cloven" Gap
Notice how the toes are slightly spread apart. Boars have a very flexible hoof structure that spreads out to help them maintain traction on the steep, slippery slopes of the **PR-AS 11**.
### 4. Context of the Trail
Since you are near the **Braña de Mumián**, you are in prime boar territory. These animals love to "root" around the edges of the beech forests you just walked through, looking for tubers, fallen beechnuts, and larvae in the soil.
***
**Pro-tip for your hike:** If you see large patches of earth that look like they've been "plowed" or turned over recently, that's a sign the boar was there very recently looking for breakfast!