Key takeaways
- Count toes and look for claw marks
- Raccoons leave hand-like five-toed prints
- Opossums have a thumb-like back toe
- Try the Track Identifier tool for the quick answer
Tracks in mud, snow and dust tell you who has been visiting.
Look at the toes
Most mammals show four or five toes. Raccoon prints look like small hands with five long toes. Opossum prints show a thumb-like back toe that points out to the side.
Claws or no claws
Dogs, foxes and coyotes show claw marks. Cats usually do not, because their claws are retracted when they walk.
Measure and compare
Size helps: a house cat print is small, a coyote print is larger and narrower, and a deer leaves two-part, heart-shaped prints.
Follow the trail
The line of prints shows where the animal came from and where it went. That often leads straight to the gap or the den.
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