Animal Tracks and Sign
Identifying wildlife from what it leaves behind.
Tracking identifies animals from physical evidence. A track is one footprint; sign is everything else — scat, browse, rubs, burrows and hair.
What to record from a print
- Toe count on front and hind feet.
- Whether claws register.
- Overall length and width, measured not estimated.
- Pad shape and symmetry.
Gait carries as much information as the print
Track spacing shows how the animal moves. Walkers place hind feet near front; bounders land front feet together then bring hind feet ahead; gallopers leave groups of four with gaps between. Cats keep claws retracted, so canine prints usually show claw marks and feline prints usually do not.
Related: bears, wolves, birds. Hair and scat identification is done under magnification: see compound microscope parts.