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Identifying Animal Tracks

Tracks are an excellent way to determine the presence of an animal. The problem is, however, that rarely does one find a "textbook" track. Tracks are often smudged or only partial. Frequently tracks only help one narrow down potential suspects and so they have not been included in the central key. However, we have compiled some information here that may help you identify tracks.

Tracking Principles

1. Perfect tracks are rarely found in the field.

2. Look carefully at the track and the nature of the substrate holding the track impression.

What is its width? (with snow measure at the bottom not at the top of the snow).
What is its length?
What is its shape? round? oval? oblong?
Are claw marks showing? How many? (could the ground be too hard to show claws?)
Are pads showing? How many?
Are toes showing? How many?

3. Are there other tracks?

If so what is the distance between this track and the other track? This is known as the animal's gait! Knowing the gait can be very helpful in identifying the species.

4. What is the habitat? Where is the animal going and what is it doing? These will provide helpful clues to narrowing down your list of suspects!!

Rodent Tracks!

All rodents, from the smallest mouse to the largest beaver,

leave 5-toed tracks with their hind feet.
Beavers have webbed hind feet!
But rodents show only 4-toed front tracks. Cottontail rabbits and jackrabbits show 5-toed front tracks.
Their hind tracks are usually placed side-by-side.


Norway rat tracks	Muskrat tracks

Carnivore Tracks!

Bears usually leave 5-toed tracks with a human-like or distant heel mark.
Raccoon tracks
Badger tracks as compared to coyote tracks
Canine (dog family) tracks compared side by side.

Dogs, bears and weasels (badgers, skunks, weasels, otters) tracks usually show claw marks.

Members of the weasel family have five toes on front and hind feet and leave 5-toed tracks. Skunks and badgers also show a heel mark.

Bobcats, mountain lion, and feral cats are 4-toed and usually don't show claw marks. Their front tracks are slightly larger than their hind tracks.

Wolves, coyotes, foxes and feral dog tracks resemble cat tracks but usually leave claw marks.

Reptiles and Amphibians

Many poisonous snakes have 1) a triangular head 2) a blotched or banded body and 3) cat-like eye pupils.

The snapping turtle's long tail and shell is dinosaur-like with many ridges and bumps.

Bird Tracks

Eagles, magpies, and some hawks and owls can kill poultry and small livestock. Mississippi kites may aggressively dive at people.

Identify that bird! If bird roosts are a problem, look during late evening hours. If bird feeding damage is a problem, look during midmorning hours. You can usually distinguish birds from other animals by their three-toed tracks. Woodpeckers are the exception with two-toes pointing forward.

Dried bird (and reptile) droppings often have white coloration that is caused by concentrated uric acid.

Other Mammals

We've placed both some pretty common and some pretty unusual mammals here!

The shrews and moles are here, but although they look like rodents with pointed noses, they are really insect eaters, making them somewhat different from true carnivores, too.

Also, the common deer and rabbit species are here as well as their less common relatives, the elk and jackrabbits. Too, there is the deer-like but singularly special pronghorn antelope.

"Work in Progress"