A KEY TO THE TRACKS OF LARGER, MORE COMMON BACKYARD MAMMALS
KEEP IN MIND:
  • sizes can vary
  • toe position can change depending on whether it's mud or dust
  • pay attention to species distribution, habitat, and arrangment of prints (bounding, lumbering)

  • A SIMPLE KEY:
    just to show how keys work

    A. Tracks grouped like the rabbit tracks shown at the right:

    AA. Tracks not like those at the right: B

        B. Track of a hoof, no toes: MORE INFO

        BB. Track showing toes: C

    C. Tracks bounding (clustered in widely separated groups -- made by long, slender animals):  MORE INFO

    CC. Tracks lumbering (made by heavy animals): D

       D. One foot with four toes, the middle two forming a conspicuous V (only Southeastern and south-central states): MORE INFO

       DD. Not as above: E

    E. Toes 4MORE INFO

    EE. Toes 5: MORE INFO

    RABBIT TRACKS
    each print about the size of a man's thumbprints

    rabbit tracks

    When rabbits travel, first their small front paws touch the ground, then the larger back feet travel over the paws still on the ground, and land in front of the planted front paws. Therefore, tracks of the front paws lie behind the tracks of the back paws.

    The tracks at the top are produced by a rushing rabbit while those below, with the clusters of prints closer together and the front paws (the smaller tracks on the left in the cluster) are placed one above the other instead of together as at the top.