Decoding Mountain Lion Prints: A Guide to Tracking Cougars

Finding a Mountain Lion Print in the wild is an unforgettable experience. It’s one thing to know these magnificent creatures roam the landscape, but encountering tangible evidence of their presence is truly special. The initial thrill of discovery is often followed by a moment of reflection, especially when hiking alone. Realizing you’re sharing the territory with a large predator can be both humbling and a little unnerving.

However, any apprehension should be tempered with perspective. Statistically, the risk of a mountain lion attack is significantly lower than common hiking hazards like falls, hypothermia, or getting lost. Instead of fear, we should embrace the opportunity to learn about and appreciate these elusive animals. This guide provides essential tips for identifying mountain lion prints, helping you deepen your understanding of wildlife and the natural world around you. Let’s delve into the details of mountain lion track identification.

Identifying Mountain Lion Prints: Key Characteristics

If you’re fortunate enough to come across a clear mountain lion print like this:

Mountain Lion Track

Mountain Lion Track – Annotated for key identification features

…take a moment to appreciate the detail and consider the story it tells. To decipher the clues, I always ask myself a series of questions when examining a track. In the image above, the direction of travel is from right to left, which is useful to note when analyzing track patterns.

Track Size: A Primary Indicator

Size is a fundamental clue in identifying animal tracks. Mountain lion prints are notably large, dwarfing those of smaller carnivores such as bobcats, foxes, or coyotes. While size alone isn’t definitive, it’s a crucial starting point.

Mountain Lion Track Dimensions:

Front Paw: 2.75 – 3.875 inches long X 2.875 – 4.875 inches wide
Rear Paw: 3.0-4.125 inches long X 2.56 – 4.875 inches wide

For comparison, consider the track dimensions of a bobcat:

Bobcat Track Dimensions:

Front Paw: 1.625 – 2.375 inches long X 1.375 – 2.5 inches wide
Rear Paw: 1.563-2.375 inches long X 1.188 – 2.5 inches wide

As you can see, adult mountain lion prints are considerably larger than bobcat tracks. Carrying a small ruler in your tracking pack is invaluable for measuring track length and width in the field. This precise measurement helps to eliminate guesswork and provides a more scientific approach to track identification.

Cat vs. Dog: Distinguishing Features

Determining whether a track belongs to a feline or canine is a critical step. Three key characteristics aid in this distinction: claw marks, track shape, and heel pad morphology.

The presence of claw marks often points to a canine track. Cats possess retractable claws, which are typically sheathed and therefore do not leave impressions in most substrates. However, there are exceptions. Cats may extend their claws for increased traction in certain conditions. While the grey fox has semi-retractable claws, generally, visible claw marks are a strong indicator of a dog track. Claw marks are clearly circled in the dog track image shown below for reference.

Track shape is another telling difference. Dog tracks tend to be oval and longer than they are wide. Conversely, cat tracks often appear rounder, sometimes wider than long. The negative space within the track, particularly the relationship between the toes and the rear pad, is informative. In cat tracks, the toe arrangement allows you to draw an arc across the front of the toes, connecting them in a semi-circular shape relative to the heel pad. In dog tracks, you can visualize an “X” shape connecting the front and side toes without intersecting the heel pad.

The heel pad shape is also highly distinctive. The mountain lion track heel pad, located at the rear of the print, exhibits a three-lobed shape on its trailing edge. This three-lobed appearance often resembles the letters “E” or “M” mentally. Dog heel pads, in contrast, have only two lobes on the trailing edge, as highlighted in the red oval in the dog track image below.

Below is an annotated image of a dog track in mud. While initially thought to be coyote, notes taken at the time of discovery indicated domestic dog tracks were also present in the vicinity. Unfortunately, a clearer example of canine tracks is not available at this time.

Dog track annotated to show key features

Dog track – Annotated to highlight canine characteristics

For a more in-depth exploration of feline versus canine track identification, the article “Canine vs. Feline” (http://www.bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline.html) provides excellent further reading.

Right or Left Footprint? Asymmetry in Mountain Lion Prints

Mountain lion prints are asymmetrical, mirroring the asymmetry of human hands. This characteristic allows us to determine whether a track is from the left or right foot. The key is to observe the relative positions of the toes. Two methods can be used, with the first being often considered more intuitive.

Method #1: The Middle Toe Analogy

Extend your hands, palms down, and tuck your thumbs underneath. Imagine your fingers as mountain lion toes. For most people, the middle finger is the longest. Similarly, a mountain lion’s paw has a longest “middle toe,” making the paw asymmetrical with this toe extending furthest forward.

Looking at the mountain lion print image at the beginning of this article, rotating the image 90 degrees counter-clockwise can be helpful. The toe labeled “2” is the most forward. Notice there are two toes positioned on the outside of the track and one toe on the inside. This configuration indicates a left foot print.

Method #2: The Straight Edge Test

Examine toes 4, 3, and 2 in the initial image. You’ll notice these three toes are almost aligned, allowing you to visualize a straight line across their tips. This alignment is not possible with toes 1, 2, and 3 without intersecting toe 2. The three toes that align nearly straight are always located on the outside of the foot. In the example image, this confirms we are looking at a left footprint. This method may require a bit more practice to visualize effectively on less-than-perfect tracks.

Front vs. Rear Paw Prints: Size and Shape Differences

In four-legged animals, the front feet typically bear more weight. Consequently, front paw prints are often larger and broader than rear paw prints. In mountain lions, this difference is further pronounced because the front paws are used for grasping and subduing prey. Therefore, mountain lion front paw prints are usually noticeably larger than their rear paw prints. While subtle, this size difference can be another helpful clue in track identification and in determining the direction of travel based on relative track size within a series of prints.

Just Kidding (About Being Followed!)

While it’s natural to feel a momentary sense of being watched when finding a fresh mountain lion print, remember to maintain a balanced perspective and enjoy the experience of wildlife observation. 😀

Caveats: The Variability of Tracks

The size and shape guidelines provided are useful, but it’s important to acknowledge that track appearance can vary significantly depending on several factors:

Terrain: Hard, rocky terrain will produce different prints compared to soft mud or sand.
Substrate: The type of surface the animal is walking on (mud, snow, sand, etc.) greatly affects track clarity and detail.
Gait: Walking, running, or leaping gaits will result in different track patterns and clarity.
Individual Variation: Just like humans, individual animals vary in size and foot shape.
Age: Juvenile mountain lions will have significantly smaller prints than adults.

Individual variation poses the greatest challenge, especially for novice trackers. We readily recognize individual differences in humans, but it’s crucial to extend this understanding to wildlife. Animal tracks rarely conform perfectly to textbook descriptions. Maintain an open mind and consider all possibilities when you encounter a track. Remember, animals haven’t read the tracking guides we use! 🙂

A Unique Tracking Lesson

While field experience is the best teacher in animal tracking, opportunities for consistent practice can be limited. If the mountain lion print at the beginning of this guide looks exceptionally clear, there’s a reason! Years ago, I participated in a tracking class where we had the extraordinary experience of working with a live mountain lion named Spirit for a day. Spirit was an incredible teacher, providing invaluable insights into feline movement and track morphology. You can read more about this unusual learning experience in my post about the Feline Tracking Course.

Spirit the mountain lion in a tracking class

Spirit heading towards the sand trap during a feline tracking course. The angle can be deceptive regarding his true size.

Test Your Knowledge: Mountain Lion Print Quiz

To help solidify your understanding and practice your identification skills, a mountain lion print quiz will be available soon.

*** UPDATE: Take the Mountain Lion Tracks Quiz now to test your skills!

Further Resources

(1) Field Guide to Animal Tracks and Scat of California, Mark Elbroch, Michael Kresky, Jonah Evans, University of California Press, 2012