Winter transforms the landscape into a pristine canvas, perfect for observing the subtle stories left behind by wildlife. Snow tracking, the art of identifying animal footprints in the snow, becomes an accessible and fascinating activity right in your backyard. While the crisp details of tracks can sometimes be obscured by deep snow or melting conditions, learning to recognize gait patterns and general shapes opens up a hidden world of winter wildlife activity. You might be surprised at the variety of creatures that traverse your property when you’re not looking!
Often, identifying tracks relies on minute details like toe counts and claw marks. However, in snowy conditions, focusing on the overall pattern and shape of tracks is often more effective. Gait patterns, the way an animal moves and places its feet, become a key identifier. Some animals are even recognizable from a distance just by the distinctive pattern they leave in the snow. Wildlife researchers even utilize aerial snow tracking from small planes to survey larger animals, highlighting the effectiveness of this method.
For beginners, the best approach to snow tracking is to familiarize yourself with the tracks of the most common animals in your local area. This guide will introduce you to five species frequently found in backyards across many regions, with a special focus on Rabbit Prints Snow, a very common and easily recognizable track. And if you become eager to explore tracks from a wider range of animals, there are excellent resources available, like wildlife tracking apps for your smartphone.
Rabbit Prints in Snow: The Bounding Rectangle
Rabbit prints snow are among the most frequently observed tracks after a fresh snowfall, and they offer a fantastic starting point for any budding tracker. The telltale sign of rabbit tracks is their distinctive bounding pattern. Imagine a rabbit moving through the snow – they push off with their larger hind feet, which land ahead of their smaller front feet. This creates a repeating pattern of four prints that, as a group, tend to form a long, narrow rectangle shape.
This rectangular pattern is a key differentiator from squirrel tracks, which, while also a bounding pattern, are much more square or blocky in appearance. Up close, you might notice that rabbit tracks feature small, rounded toes, and their feet are covered in fur, which can sometimes be visible in clear tracks. Squirrels, in contrast, have longer, more finger-like toes.
A cottontail rabbit tracks snow bound pattern showing a narrow rectangular shape. The larger hind prints are at the top, leading the smaller front prints.
A cottontail rabbit bounding in snow directly towards the camera, showcasing its typical movement style.
Cottontail rabbit tracks in snow bounding to the right, clearly displaying the four-print rectangular pattern.
Squirrel Tracks: The Blocky Bound
Squirrel tracks, like rabbit prints snow, also exhibit a bounding pattern, but as mentioned, their pattern is noticeably different. Squirrel tracks are wider and more blocky or square compared to the elongated rectangle of rabbit tracks. If the snow is clear enough to show track details, you may even be able to discern the imprints of their long, slender toes. Following a set of squirrel tracks will often lead you to the base of a tree or another elevated structure, as squirrels are adept climbers and frequently seek refuge and food sources in trees.
Red squirrel tracks in snow showing five-toed hind prints on the outside and four-toed front prints on the inside of the track.
The blocky bounding pattern of red squirrel tracks in snow heading directly towards the camera lens.
Tracks of a western gray squirrel bounding away in the snow, demonstrating the square-like pattern.
House Cat Tracks: The Precise Walker
House cat tracks are incredibly common, even in surprisingly remote locations, indicating their widespread presence. Cats possess four toes on both their front and hind feet. When walking in snow, they often exhibit a “direct register walk,” where their hind feet land almost perfectly in the tracks left by their front feet. This efficient gait minimizes snow disturbance and creates a neat, linear track pattern.
House cat tracks in snow demonstrating a direct register walk, where the hind foot (above) steps into the front foot track (below).
The zigzagging pattern of house cat tracks walking away in the snow, showcasing their typical walking gait.
Domestic Dog Tracks: Clues in the Claws
Dog tracks are frequently mistaken for those of mountain lions, especially by novice trackers. Key features to look for in dog tracks include four toes on each foot, claws that are usually (but not always) visible in the print, and a triangular-shaped heel pad. A helpful distinguishing factor between dog and cat tracks is the size of the heel pad relative to the toes. In dogs, the heel pad is generally smaller, roughly the size of three of their toes, whereas a cat’s heel pad is proportionally larger, about the size of four toes.
Comparison image of coyote tracks (left) and domestic dog tracks (right) in snow, highlighting subtle differences.
Dog tracks in snow from a dog galloping, note that claw marks are not always visible even in dog tracks.
Deer Tracks: The Heart in the Snow
Deer tracks are often quite easy to identify due to their distinctive heart shape. However, deer often place their hind feet directly over their front tracks, which can sometimes create a muddied or distorted appearance. In deep snow, even deer tracks can become challenging to decipher as the snow collapses around the imprint.
Heart-shaped deer tracks in snow moving towards the right, a classic and easily identifiable print.
Deer tracks in snow, demonstrating the overlapping hind and front foot placement that can sometimes distort the track.
Deer tracks in deep snow, showing how track definition can become less clear in deeper snow conditions.
With these five common backyard species – rabbits (rabbit prints snow!), squirrels, house cats, domestic dogs, and deer – you have a solid foundation for beginning your snow tracking adventures. Keep an eye out for tracks from other frequent backyard visitors such as gray fox, red fox, raccoon, opossum, and mice as your tracking skills develop. So, get outside and enjoy the snowy landscape, and see what stories the animal tracks in your backyard can tell!
