A Field Guide to Common Animal Prints in Mud and Snow

Now, let’s apply these four fundamentals to some of the most common animals you are likely to find evidence of in your backyard or local park. This is where the detective work becomes truly exciting, as you start to recognize the specific signatures of your wild neighbors.

The Canine Family: Dogs, Coyotes, and Foxes

Canine tracks are characterized by four toes, visible claw marks, and a generally symmetrical, oval shape. The key to distinguishing them lies in the details of their shape and gait.

Coyote: Coyote tracks are typically about 2.5 inches long and 2 inches wide. They are distinctly oval-shaped, more compact and purposeful than most domestic dog tracks. The two middle toes are set further forward, and the negative space (the mud or snow pushed up between the pads) often forms a rough “X” shape. Their walking gait is efficient, often in a relatively straight line.

Red Fox: Fox tracks are smaller and more delicate than a coyote’s, usually less than 2.5 inches long. The foot pad is proportionally smaller, and there is more space between the toes and the pad, giving the track a lighter appearance. Foxes are expert direct-register walkers, often leaving a trail that looks like a single line of prints, as if walking on a tightrope.

Domestic Dog: Dog tracks are highly variable due to the diversity of breeds. However, they generally appear sloppier than wild canine tracks. The toes tend to be more splayed, the claws are often blunter and larger, and the overall shape is rounder. Their gait is usually meandering and less direct than that of a coyote or fox.

Tell-Them-Apart Tip: The “X” Test. In a clear coyote track, you can often draw an imaginary X through the negative space between the heel pad and toe pads without intersecting the pads themselves. In most domestic dog tracks, the larger heel pad and more splayed toes will block the X.

The Feline Family: Bobcats and House Cats

Feline tracks are the epitome of stealth. They are round, show four toes, and almost never have claw marks. The main pad at the back has three lobes on its bottom edge.

Bobcat: A bobcat track is roughly 2 inches in diameter and is nearly as wide as it is long, giving it a circular appearance. There will be no claw marks. The track is also asymmetrical; one toe (the equivalent of our middle finger) leads slightly ahead of the others. This helps distinguish a left foot from a right foot. Like foxes, they often walk in a direct-register pattern, creating a neat trail.

Domestic Cat: A house cat’s track is a perfect miniature of a bobcat’s, typically measuring just 1 to 1.5 inches across. All the same rules apply: four toes, no claws, and a round shape.

Tell-Them-Apart Tip: Claws are the key. If you find a cat-like track and are unsure if it belongs to a bobcat or a small dog, the definitive clue is the absence of claw marks. If there are no claw imprints, it’s a cat.

The Hoof Prints: Deer

The most common backyard ungulate across much of North America is the white-tailed deer. Their tracks are among the easiest to identify once you know what to look for.

White-tailed Deer: The track is a two-toed hoof that creates a heart-shaped or teardrop-shaped print. A typical adult deer track is 2 to 3 inches long. The pointed end of the “heart” indicates the animal’s direction of travel. In deep snow or mud, or when the deer is running or leaping, you may also see two small dots behind the main hoof print. These are the dewclaws, which are higher up on the leg and only register in soft substrate.

Learning how to identify deer tracks in snow is particularly rewarding. The crisp edges of the hoof are easy to see, and you can clearly follow their meandering trails as they browse for food. Look for drag marks from their feet as they walk through deeper snow.

The Masked Bandit and Friends: Raccoons, Opossums, and Skunks

This group of medium-sized mammals leaves some of the most fascinating tracks. They are all waddlers with five toes on both front and hind feet.

Raccoon: Raccoon tracks are unmistakable. They look like tiny human handprints. The front track is about 2-3 inches long and shows five long, slender toes with visible claw marks. The hind foot is longer and flatter, resembling a miniature human footprint. They have a waddling gait, so you will see the prints side-by-side.

Opossum: The opossum’s hind track is the real showstopper. It has five toes, four of which point forward with small claws. The fifth toe is a large, opposable, thumb-like digit (called a hallux) that has no claw and juts out to the side at nearly a 90-degree angle. This gives the hind print a unique starburst shape.

Skunk: Skunk tracks also show five toes on both front and hind feet. The key identifier is the long claw marks on the front feet, which are much longer than those on the hind feet. These are adaptations for digging up grubs and insects. Their tracks are often paired in a waddling pattern similar to a raccoon’s.

The Hoppers: Rabbits and Squirrels

These animals are gallopers whose hind feet land ahead of their front feet. Distinguishing them is all about the pattern.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit: A rabbit’s trail shows its unique hopping gait. The two smaller front paws land first (often one slightly behind the other), and then the two large, powerful hind feet swing forward and land side-by-side in front. This creates a classic U-shaped or triangular pattern of prints, with the “bottom” of the U pointing in the direction of travel.

Gray Squirrel: A squirrel’s gait is similar, but they typically land with their front paws side-by-side. Their hind feet then land outside and ahead of the front paws. This creates a more rectangular or boxy pattern of four prints. Squirrel tracks are also often seen leading directly from the base of one tree to another.

Worked Example: You find a set of four prints in the snow. Two large prints are in front, and two smaller prints are behind. To tell if it’s a rabbit or a squirrel, look at the placement of the smaller front prints. If they are one behind the other, forming a point, think rabbit. If they are side-by-side, forming a flat base, think squirrel.