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Animal Track Identification - Pictures and ID Chart

Image Credit:
Val_Iva/Shutterstock
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

You don’t have to be deep in the forest to be an animal tracker. Animal footprints are often as close as your backyard or garden. Take a look at these animal track pictures and charts—showing footprints in both snow and mud. Now, you can identify which wild animal walked through your yard last night!

How to Track Animals and Identify Animal Tracks

Tracking is something that you learn best by doing. Get out there and look! Here are a few tips:

  • Animal tracks are easiest to find in mud, soft garden soil, sand, and snow.
  • Study the ground closely. Get down on your hands and knees. Note the size of the track and whether it shows claw marks. You may wish to make a sketch.
  • Track early in the morning or late in the day when shadows make prints easier to see.
  • Watch for animal droppings called scat. The scat will also help you track the animal. If the scat is dry all the way through, the tracks may have been left a while ago. On the other hand, if it’s still moist, it indicates recent activity. Not only can it provide valuable information about the timing of the animal’s presence, but it can also give clues about their diet. Scat can tell you if you’re tracking a vegetarian or a meat eater.
  • In case you lose the trail, don’t panic. Simply widen your search by scanning the area in a circular motion around the last track you found. This method increases your chances of picking up the trail again. Remember, patience is key when tracking animals.
  • The most important tip of all: don’t get lost! While tracking animals can be an exciting adventure, it’s crucial to prioritize your safety. Always be aware of your surroundings and avoid getting lost. Carry a map, compass, or GPS device to ensure you can find your way back. Additionally, inform someone about your tracking plans and estimated return time.

By following these tips and staying cautious, you can enhance your tracking skills and gain a deeper understanding of the wildlife around you. So, grab your gear, head out into nature, and embark on a thrilling animal tracking expedition.

Animal Track Pictures in the Winter Snow

For those living in snowy regions, winter can be a great time to observe and identify animal tracks. The white canvas of snow makes it easier to spot tracks and decipher their characteristics. Take a moment to examine these common animal tracks and familiarize yourself with their distinct patterns.

animal tracks in the snow chart

Animal Track Pictures in the Mud

Here are the same animal tracks as they might look in a muddy garden or backyard!

animal tracks in the mud

We love all these animals, but if they are destroying your garden, here are simple ways to deter common critters:
Deer, mice, moles, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, voles, and woodchucks or groundhogs. 

Have you seen any animal tracks in your backyard lately? Tell us about it below!

Pets & Farm Animals

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com and a Purdue University Extension Master Gardener. She loves helping readers find practical, trustworthy answers—whether they’re figu...

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Bubblie</span> Sun, 12/14/2014 - 22:41
I found some track in Washington as I was walking around the fields but can not figure out what they are, I have a picture they are about 2 inches long with two pints in front and two in back, I have a picture but not sure how to upload it. But you can view it here. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202008605376216&l=342af9710a Thanks for the help : )
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 12/15/2014 - 11:14
It is hard to tell, as the prints are not distinct enough to show how many toes in front and behind, etc. Or, is each section showing just one footprint, rather than a group of four? If each section is showing four prints, then it looks like an animal with a bounding gait. Gray squirrel? http://www.bear-tracker.com/gsquirel.html I'm not sure what the sharp points are--claws? But there are only two showing. It doesn't look like tail drag. Here is a good site that might help you narrow the possibilities: http://www.ussartf.org/animal_tracking.htm Good luck with the identification!
<span>Dominick</span> Wed, 11/26/2014 - 23:24
My son and I found similar large 3-toed footprints here in Virginia. There are what appears to be 2 two-legged creatures walking side by side between our house and the neighbor. We took photos on the phone. They have 3 sharp toes and a roundish heel and quite large. We just had our first snowfall. They appear to start from nowhere. I did hear a noise from the bushes in my yard but it was dark. I went out to clear off the satellite dish and called my son to get the phone thinking it might be a bear based on the size. I noticed though it appeared 2 legged and had long strides.
<span>Ellie</span> Mon, 01/05/2015 - 01:02
I live in CT. and just found the same kind of footprint in the snow. Did you find out what it was?
<span>Keith Allen</span> Fri, 12/12/2014 - 09:39
may I please see the pictures?? thank you,, keith
<span>Brookah</span> Fri, 11/21/2014 - 19:43
I live in Australia, in a rural city in Queensland. And I noticed tracks on the driver side door of my car, they don't appear anywhere else on my car, just on the driver door. They're three-pronged hand/foot prints, about 2 feet from the ground, I smudged a couple of the prints to check for scratches, and there were none. All of my friends are stumped as to what it could be, we thought it might have been a magpie, but they have claws and would have scratched the paint. I'm not sure how knowledgeable you are with Australian wildlife, but I couldn't find an Australian website like this :/ I do have pictures if that will help!
<span>David Mohr</span> Thu, 08/28/2014 - 18:19
On the beach I found a line of tracks that we are not sure what they are. One set was with nails and one set without. All sets were in-line and exhibited clearly as four toed. Tracks are about 5" long and 4" wide. Maybe around 8" to 12" from track to track at one point. At other points they are almost jumbled. This is wet sand and the indentation showed no indication of caving in. We know that there have been cougar in the area as cougars have been sighted in some of the residential areas. Our problem is the tracks were in-line or one in front of the other....no side to side movement. Hopefully you can clear this up for us.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 08/29/2014 - 11:37

It's hard to tell without a photo, and not knowing what state/province you've seen this. The inline gait with 4 toes showing on both front and back paws and large print suggests a cat or dog family member, especially cougar, wolf, or large domestic dog. Cat family members usually do not have claws out (retractable), whereas prints of dog members almost always show their claws. Dog family tracks are usually more elongated (tall) than cat ones, which are fairly round. Some dog family animals have longer toes in the middle than the outside. Large dog prints can be about 4 inches tall, sometimes larger, wolves about 4.5 to 5 inches. Wolves - claw marks usually present, trot in straight line, the hind paw usually falls exactly on the print the front paw made (direct register); toes, rather than middle pad, are usually the dominant feature. Dog prints usually meander; hind paw tends to fall near but slight off from the print that the front paw made. Coyote/lynx/bobcat/fox prints are smaller. Bears usually show 5 toes with claws. Cougar tracks usually equally wide as tall, or wider; the middle pad is usually the dominant feature; the hind paw may or may not exactly step on front paw print (normal walking, usually not; stalking, walking on snow or mud, usually direct register); rarely shows claws, unless running or walking on slippery surface (which sand might be); trail mostly straight. If you think it might be a cougar, check the overall shape of the print--is it round (cat) or elongated (dog/wolf)? Can you draw an X between the middle two toes and middle pad (dog/wolf)?

The following is a good introduction on telling the difference between canine and feline tracks:

http://www.bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline.html

These may help you to identify the tracks further:

http://www.bear-tracker.com/cougar.html

http://northernbushcraft.com/animalTracks/cougar/notes.htm

http://northernbushcraft.com/animalTracks/wolf/notes.htm

http://www.ussartf.org/animal_tracking.htm

Good luck!

 <span>Pattie G</span> Thu, 06/26/2014 - 21:07
I live in Richmond VA. I keep finding tracks in the mulch around my flower beds. Because it is mulch, the shape of the tracks is not really defined. I finally measured the most recent one. The front(?) tracks were about 2-2 1/2" deep (it's on an incline, so it's hard to get exact measurements), the back tracks were about the same. The width between the tracks was approximately 18" and the length from the front to the back was about 36". A deer? I am trying to determine just how big this animal might be, and if I should be nervous about going out in my yard at night! I've stayed up watching for it, and of course, when I'm watching, nothing. Thank you for ANY light you can shed on this.
<span>Laura Li</span> Wed, 06/11/2014 - 10:59
I need help, I have some Raccoon in my back yard. I don't know what to do. All the fruit tree damage. Thanks