Five Animal Tracks and How to Identify Them

Even for those who spend a lot of time outdoors in habitat frequented by wildlife, it can be a rare opportunity to actually lay eyes on some of the more elusive species themselves. Some carnivores have fairly large home ranges and occur at low densities, not to mention how well they rely on their senses to avoid humans and stay hidden.

Despite their ability to remain largely unseen, animals do leave sign for the observant person to notice. Scent posts, nesting sites, and sign of feeding behavior are all things to look out for, but the most basic is tracks. A wealth of information can be gained by observing wildlife tracks by studying what different tracks mean (is this animal running? Stalking? Foraging?) to the trained eye. For beginners, learning some of the common tracks you could run into in the woods across North America is a great start.

1. Raccoon

Ok, so the raccoon doesn’t exactly fit the “elusive” category most of the time. But they are very common across a large portion of North America and frequent areas near water, which is conducive to the soft soils that hold tracks well.

Unlike many species, which walk on their toes primarily, a raccoon’s track is plantigrade (flat footed), more similar to how humans walk. Racoons have five toes on each foot. The front foot averages 2 to 2.5 inches long and the back foot averages 3 to 3.5 inches long. Many people compare the tracks to mini hands and feet; when walking, tracks will appear in pairs with the front track showing up in front of the rear track of the opposite foot. Keep an eye out for raccoon tracks in muddy pond edges and stream banks.

Raccoon tracks. M.P. Illustration

2. Opossum

Another ubiquitous species, opossum tracks are unique among the tracks you’ll see in the woods. Commonly described as “star-shaped”, the front foot is 1.5 to 2 inches long and 2 inches wide. In the front foot, the three middle toes are longer than the outer two, which are splayed. The hind foot, which also has five digits, is distinctive in that four of the toes print as parallel, except for the fifth one, which is splayed out to the side.  

Opossum tracks. M.P. Illustration. 

3. Coyote

Like other North American canids, coyotes have four toes that appear in their tracks. Their toes generally appear closer together in the track than the toes of a domestic dog. The front foot of a coyote measures 2.5 inches long, and the hind foot is slightly shorter. This is true for many species that are good runners: a large chest to support powerful lungs needs to be supported by larger front feet. Large front feet also allow for good traction when running and a foot to use for pivoting when running. A running coyote track appears as the two rear feet printed with one front foot, with the other front foot available for pivoting to change direction if needed. You can even tell if an animal is right or left dominant just like humans by observing this type of track.     

Coyote tracks (L) and domestic dog tracks (R). M.P. Illustration. 

Coyote tracks are unique from wolf or fox tracks because the front foot pad has three lobes that face backward. The rear track has a heel pad that faces backward, with two small crescents that face the toes. A walking coyote gait prints at a zigzag, while at a trot the front and hind foot from opposite sides print together in pairs.

4. Red Fox

Red fox tracks will appear in a line, and if the substrate is right you might be able to observe sign of their furry feet. Red fox tracks are much smaller than coyote tracks, with the front foot averaging 2.5 inches and the hind foot 2 inches. Foxes have a triangle shaped heel pad and can be distinguished from other canids by a V-shaped ridge that appears on both the front and back paws.

Red fox tracks. M.P. Illustration. 

5. Bobcat

Like canids, wild felids also have four toes on each foot. Unlike canids, bobcat tracks have more of a rounded shape and the toes print as spread more widely than those of canids. The width is almost equal to the length in a bobcat track, averaging 1.5 to 2 inches for most cats, although bobcat size can vary geographically. The hind foot prints inside of or very close to the front foot, which is a trait of animals that use stealth. The bobcat can see where to place its front foot in the location that will be quietest, and then place its hind foot in the same location that was determined to be most conducive to stealth.

Bobcat tracks. M.P. Illustration. 

Observing animal tracks is a great way to get an idea of some of the species in your area and their habits. Tracking can be a really in-depth, informative hobby and while this article was just a basic look at identifying common tracks, there are some great resources out there to learn more about the signs and habits of all kinds of species!

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