Identifying Wildlife Tracks & Scat Identification

The first thing you should look for when you find an animal track is the track pattern. There are four unique track patterns which will help you narrow down the group of animals that are responsible for the print.

Zig-Zaggers (Perfect Walkers): Perfect walkers walk very carefully to conserve energy. Their rear paw/hoof will land in the spot where their front paw previously fell. This gait leaves a zig-zag pattern that is easy to spot. Deer, moose, fox, coyote, bobcat are perfect walkers.

Waddlers: Waddlers appear to move one side of their body and then the other side when they walk. Their rear foot does not land in the print of front foot. Their track is comprised of four prints. Bear, skunk, woodchuck, raccoon, muskrat, beaver, porcupine are waddlers.

Bounders: Bounders place their front feet down, and in one motion they leap forward by lifting up their front feet and putting their rear feet in the exact spot where the front feet previously landed. Their tracks appear as two paws that fall side-by-side. Otters, weasels and other mustelids are bounders.

Hoppers: Hoppers move by placing their rear feet slightly ahead of their front feet and pushing off so their front feet land first and their back feet land in front. This pattern of leapfrogging is found in rabbits and rodents like mice, red squirrels, and chipmunks.

Identifying Track Characteristics

Finding the track pattern helps you narrow down the animal you are trying to identify into larger groups, but that is only the first step of identification. You need to get up close and personal with the print, examining the details such as the size of each print, the number of toes, and more.

Width/Length: Width and length help you tell the difference between closely related animals. Within the canines, a fox print will be smaller than a wolf print. Be aware that there is some overlap. A wolf pup may have the same size print as an adult fox. In these cases, you need to look for other clues, such as the tracks of the mother wolf or multiple tracks from a litter of fox kits. There also may be scat nearby as well.

Number of Toes: The number of toes is important to tell the major groups of animals apart! Bear have five toes, while canines and felines have four, for example.

Nails: Nails are a huge find when you can see them! Canines tend to leave a nail print while felines don't since they can retract their nails. There is some grey area -- a feline may bring out its nails because it is on alert or a dog won't sink down enough to imprint its nails. Look for additional prints and other tracks to help fill in these blanks.

Depth: Depth is useful when comparing tracks left in the same substrate at the same time. The heavier the animal, the deeper the print it will leave. Be careful when comparing prints from different locations and times. A deer could make a print that resembles a moose because it is walking on mud softened by a recent rainstorm.

Front/Rear: Front and rear paws may have a slightly different size and shape, depending on the animal. Most guidebooks will have measurements for both prints.

Webbing: Webbing is usually found on animals that frequently swim in the water.

Stride and Straddle: Stride and straddle measure the gate of an animal and can be used to distinguish between two very closely related prints.  Stride is measured from the heel of one print to the heel of the other print on the same side. Straddle is the measurement of the width of the track from the outside of the right track to the outside of the left track.

Learn how to read tracks, and you'll learn a new language, one that communicates the hidden stories of the animals that leave the tracks. Our ancestors had to be adept in tracking to learn about the unseen game animals and predators in their vicinity. Today, animal tracking provides an invaluable service to the hunter and trapper, as well as the nature lover and photographer. Tracking can also be a lifesaver in a survival situation, warning you about dangerous creatures in the area and helping you to locate your next meal. Find a few clear prints and you'll be able to read a few pages from the tale of that animal's life. Find a trail, and you might just find the animal itself. Polish up your existing skills or learn a brand new one, with these tips on tracking 10 common species.

Note: Tracks not drawn to scale. F: Front Track; H: Hind Track; and T: Tail marks may be present.

Beaver

It's easy to spot a beaver's wooden lodge at a distance, or their tree felling work, but it's a lot harder to find an obvious footprint from this water loving animal. Looking for larger beaver sign is a good place to start. Inspect areas with gnawed trees and maybe you'll find a few tracks in damp soil. Check out the hills and banks that lead into the beaver's waterway and you might find a beaver slide, a well-worn and often muddy run that terminates in the water. This is generally the beaver's path back to the water, but not out of it. Still, it's a likely spot to look for footprints.

A beaver's front foot is very similar in size and shape to that of a raccoon, but the rear foot is unique. Five large, long toes may show signs of the webbing that circles the toe span. Front prints are about three inches long, while rear prints can be more than six inches in length. Expect to find beavers throughout the continental US and Canada, though they are rare in Nevada and southern California.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

 

Hardly the burrow dwelling Peter Cottontail of our childhood literature, the eastern cottontail lives its life in the open, seeking shelter in the brush and weeds, rather than a deep den in the ground.

A single footprint from one paw may not tell you much about this animal or identify the species. Find a few sets of tracks, however, and you'll know it's a rabbit right away. Rabbits typically move in a gallop. The big rear feet hit the ground in front of the two small front feet when the rabbit is "walking" or running, and a trail looks like a series of "C"s or "V"s made by the four feet. Expect to find similar tracks and trails from snowshoe hares, jackrabbits, and other members of the rabbit family, Leporidae. Cottontail tracks generally have one-inch-long front feet and three-inch-long rear feet. The eastern cottontail can be found throughout the eastern half of the United States, and from Texas to North Dakota. Rabbits make interesting trackways in the snow.

Raccoon

Mostly active at night, the raccoon is a fascinating omnivore to track. This scavenger can often leave long trails for you to follow through the mud and sand of wet areas. The front and rear footprints of a raccoon have an astonishing resemblance to a human handprint. Their nimble fingers are skillful at catching minnows and opening freshwater shellfish.

Look for the obvious five toes on each foot. Also look for all five of the toes to point forward, nearly parallel to one another. This will help you differentiate raccoon footprints from the wide-splayed toes of the opossum and the rarely imprinted fifth toe of a muskrat. Raccoons move in a diagonal track pattern, just like a deer. Watch for the longer heel of the rear foot to tell the front foot from the back foot. Raccoon front footprints are 2 to 3 inches long, and 3 to 4 inches long on rear feet. Raccoons can be found in the lower 48 states, southern Canada and northern Mexico.

Eastern Gray Squirrel

The gray squirrel is an agile climber and a tricky animal to track. Squirrel sign, like chewed nut shells and little holes dug in the ground, is often abundant in their presence. However, clear tracks and footprints are uncommon. Since they are so lightweight and their feet spend more time on unyielding tree bark than soil, finding clear squirrel footprints is an unusual treat.

Squirrels are gallopers, just like rabbits. Their normal track patterns show the rear feet in front of the front feet in a walking and running gait. Watch for more symmetrical foot patterns in squirrel trails to help discern their tracks from the offset front feet of rabbits. Like with other rodents' feet, look for 4 toes on the front and 5 toes on the rear. Gray squirrel footprints are about an inch long, unless the hind heel pad is showing, which lengthens the rear track. Gray squirrels are found throughout the eastern half of the United States.

Opossum

The only North American native marsupial, the opossum has some strange physiology and habits. Opossums have prehensile tails, 50 teeth, opposable "thumbs" on their rear feet, and the females have a pouch. Sometimes you can even frighten them into unconsciousness. These slow moving animals are mostly active at night, when they scavenge for food, which can be literally anything. I once caught an opossum using the tail of a dead opossum for bait.

Keep an eye out for their tracks and trails along waterways. They look similar to raccoon sign, except for the presence of the distinctive rear thumb. The front-feet tracks are often two inches long, and the rear feet are typically three inches long. Opossums are found throughout the eastern states, coastal Pacific states, and coastal Mexico.

CANINE TRACKS

Canine prints are distinctive -- the overall shape is oval with four twos and a heel pad that is concave at the bottom. The four toes point forward and are held closely together with the two front toes often lining up side-by-side. There usually are claws visible in the track and they also point forward. Because of the arrangement of the toes and pad, you can draw an "X" through the canine print. When comparing front and rear tracks, the fore prints of all members of the dog family are significantly larger than the hind print.

1. Wolf: Wolves are among the largest canines, and their paws are the biggest in the group with a long (4”) and wide print.

2. Coyote: Coyotes are slightly smaller than wolves and have a print that is more narrow (2.5 to 3.5”) than the wolf.

3. Fox: The fox is the smallest canine in the group and have the smallest print (2 to 3”), almost dainty when compared to their bigger cousins. Fox tend to drag their feet and also have more hair in their paws producing a print that is fuzzy around the edges and has a small pad imprint.

4. Dog: A domestic dog can have a similar sized print to wolf or coyote making it difficult to tell them apart. If you can find a set of prints, you can usually tell the difference by how the two animals walk. Wild animals like wolves and coyotes tend to walk in a straight line to conserve energy, while dogs zig-zag and circle around quite a bit when they are walking. Domestic dogs also tend to splay their toes, producing a track with toes and nails that are pointing outward. Another difference is the nails -- dog nails are thick and blunt while wild canines leave thin and sharp nail prints.

Wolf Tracks

Wolf Trackway

Coyote

This native canine favors open plains, brushy areas, and woodlands, but can and do live virtually anywhere. Both the four-toed-tracks and scat of coyotes look very much like the tracks and scat of medium-sized dogs. On closer inspection, you'll typically notice abundant hair and small bones in coyote scat, which is usually absent in domesticated dog droppings.

Coyote tracks are often farther apart than those of a dog with the same size feet or body weight. By trailing these canines, you'll see that dog trails tend to meander, while coyote trails are straighter and more "purposeful." The front feet of coyotes are larger than the rear feet, and are roughly two and a half to three inches long. Coyotes are found throughout North America.  Notice with Canine tracks, you see claws.

Coyote Scat

 

Red Fox

The red fox is a long, lean animal whose bushy tail is longer than half its body length. It's also one of the most elusive canines in North America. Keen senses allow the red fox to remain undetected by most creatures, including humans. Quite often, the only evidence you'll find is a few tracks or a single scat deposited in a prominent location. If you hear a yelping in the woods on a springtime evening that sounds like a woman yelling "help," it's probably a red fox -- though you might check it out, just in case it's a damsel in distress.

The footprints of a red fox are usually two and a half inches on the front foot and two inches on the rear foot. They are a diagonal walker, just like deer and dogs, and foxes usually place their rear feet in the front footprints. Their tracks and trails often reflect their punchy little steps and quick feet. The red fox can be found throughout the continental US and Canada.

Red Fox Scat

BEAR TRACKS

You can’t miss a bear track -- its paw is huge with five rounded toes and a wide heel pad. Black and Grizzly Bear tracks can be hard to differentiate. Geographic location can help narrow down the possibilities.

35. Black Bear: A black bear has short claws and its toes spread out in a curve over its foot pad. Generally going to be smaller than Grizzly Bear paw.

36. Grizzly Bear: A grizzly has long claws that extend out further from their toes.  Its toes also are held closer together, forming almost a straight line above the foot pad.

Black Bear

Black Bear Scat

Black Bear Scat

The black bear is an important animal to know how to track, as it represents a danger to any outdoorsman. Though generally shy, a 200- to 400-pound bear can defend itself with surprising speed and great strength if it feels threatened. Black bears are the consummate omnivore, eating fruits, nuts, and insects when those items are available; scavenging on occasion; and hunting other mammals when the opportunity presents itself.

Black bears leave large tracks, with the rear-feet tracks looking almost like human footprints. The front footprints of a black bear average four inches by four inches. The rear feet average three to four inches wide and six to seven inches long when the heel pad imprints. Black bears are found in the mountains, swamps, and forests of the continental US, and are also found throughout Canada. Be on the lookout for double step tracks.

FELINE TRACKS

Feline prints have four toes and a heel pad with three lobes at the bottom edges that are shaped like a bubble letter “M”. Cats actually have five toes up front and four toes in the back, but the extra toe up front does not appear in the tracks. Feline prints are as wide as they are long, making them more round in shape than a canine. Felines also have a leading toe much like a person's middle finger. You can draw a "C" through between the pad and toes of a feline print.

5. Cougar/ Mountain Lion: Among the felines, cougar tracks are the largest (greater than 3"), about the size of the domestic dog.

6. Lynx: Though smaller in stature, lynx tracks are the same size as a cougar, but are not as defined due to the fur around their paws.

7. Bobcat: Bobcats have smaller tracks (2”) that are often confused with coyote or fox. Look for a lack of nails and a round-shaped print to identify the bobcat track from its canine counterparts.

8. House Cat: The prints of a house cat are small (1 to 1.5”). Similar to the domestic dog, the house cat also tends to meander when walking and does not try to conserve energy.

Bobcat

Bobcat Trackway

This small wild feline, though not much bigger than a large house cat, can hold its own against many other animals. Bobcats have even been documented killing small deer. The secretive bobcat spends most of its time alone, except when males and females pair off during their mid-winter mating season.
Bobcats are diagonal walkers like deer and canines. This diagonal pattern is so precise that the rear feet land in the front footprints (like with foxes), giving the tracks the appearance of a two-legged walker rather than a four-legged animal. Bobcat tracks are about two inches in diameter and resemble a small dog's track, except for a small notch in front of the heel pad, dead center in the track. A bobcat's front feet are slightly larger than its rear feet. Bobcats are present through most of the lower 48 states, though rare in the Great Plains.  Notice with Felines, the lack of claw marks, which are rarely seen except at times when the animal is running our pouncing in wet mud.

 

 

Mountain Lion

HOOF TRACKS (LARGE)

Ungulates have a split hoof with two toes that leave a distinct imprint. Ungulates can be divided into two main groups based upon the shape of their toes. One group has toes that curve forming a heart-shaped print, while the other have toes that are rounded and leave a round or even square-shaped print.

9. Moose: Moose are among the largest of the hooved animals and have two toes that curve together into a point forming almost a heart shape print. Moose are heavy and sink down deep into snow allowing the dew claws to sometimes appear in the track. Their tracks measure 5-7” long, about the size of your hand.

10. Deer: Deer, like moose, have two toes that curve sharply together forming almost a heart shape print. The prints are smaller in size than a moose measuring 2-3.5”.

11. Elk: Elk are similar to moose and deer, but their toes are rounder and not as sharply tapered at the tips. The prints measure 3-5”, placing them right in between the deer and moose. Dew claws sometimes appear in deep snow or when the elk is galloping.

12. Bison: Bison also have two toes in their hooves, but their toes are rounder and they print doesn’t taper to a point like the deer, moose and elk. Their print is wide and more round than heart-shaped. It measures 4.5 to 6”.

13. Cow: Cow prints are often confused with bison since they share the same round shape and relative size. The easiest way to tell them apart is to know your surroundings. Is there a farm nearby?

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HOOF TRACKS (SMALL)

Mountain goats, bighorn sheep and wild hogs have the same two-toed hooves as their bigger ungulate cousins, but the shapes of their hooves reflect their lifestyle and habitat.

14. Mountain Goats: To help them climb, mountain goats have toes that spread when they step, creating a distinctive V shape at the top of their print.

15. Bighorn Sheep: Bighorn sheep have an elongated hooves that are easily confused with those from a deer. In general, the bighorn sheep prints have straighter edges and are less pointed than a deer. They are more blocky and less shaped like a heart.

17. Wild Hog: The wild boar track is often confused with the deer since they are about the same size. The shape is the discriminating feature. The boar has toes that are wider, rounder and blunter than the deer and don’t come to a point like the deer. Hogs also have a dew claw that rests slightly outside the print.

Feral Pigs vs Boars

Feral Hogs

Feral Hogs

 

Hog vs Deer Scat

Whitetail Deer

Deer

Moose

Deer

Elk

Deer

Whitetails are probably the most widely tracked animals in North America, thanks in no small part to their popularity as a game animal. And it doesn't hurt that they are easier to track than many other animals. The deer's body weight focuses on relatively small, sharp-edged hooves, which leave impressions in soil types that would hide other tracks. From bedding ovals in tall grass, to piles of pelletized scat, does leave plenty of sign other than tracks. Bucks leave even more sign, which can include scrapes and rubs.

Find a single, heart-shaped track, and you'll likely find many more tracks and even trails. Whitetails are diagonal walkers, but not as careful as cats and foxes. Look for smaller rear feet hitting near or on top of larger front-foot prints. Whitetail deer tracks average 2 to 3 inches in length. Deer are commonly found through the lower 48 states, southern Canada, and northern Mexico.  When Deer or Elk step in extremely wet mud, their toes will spread, and their dewclaws will be in their tracks.  Same with wild hogs.  

Apes

Gorilla Trackway

Casts of Female Lowland Gorilla

Gorilla Print

Top Left to Right:  Bear, Bobcat, Goose; 2nd Row L to R:  Coyote, Deer, Elk;  3rd Row L to R: Moose, Porcupine, Rabbit

Check out our other articles on Identifying Skulls and Identifying Teeth found in the wilderness. 

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