Animal Tracks

Animals leave footprints and other clues wherever they go. These are called animal tracks. By looking at tracks, you can figure out which animals have been in an area. Tracking animals is a skill that people have used for thousands of years.

Reading Tracks

Different animals leave different tracks. Deer tracks look like two pointed half-moons. Bear tracks show five toes and claw marks. Rabbit tracks show two long back feet and two small front feet. Tracks in mud, snow, or sand are the easiest to spot.

Other Animal Signs

Animals leave more than just footprints. Beavers leave gnawed tree stumps. Owls leave pellets of undigested bones and fur. Deer rub their antlers on trees, leaving marks on the bark. Scat, or animal droppings, also tells trackers which animals are nearby.

Fun Facts

• A grizzly bear's back foot track can be over 12 inches long.
• Rabbit tracks show the big back feet landing in front of the small front feet.
• Ancient humans tracked animals for food using skills passed down for thousands of years.

Did You Know?

Scientists have found dinosaur tracks preserved in rock that are over 100 million years old! These fossilized tracks tell us how dinosaurs walked and how fast they moved.