Mar 12, Cat Tracks: North American Species

by Filip Tkaczyk

Cat tracks are distinct and often relatively easy toidentify with practice.  First, it isimportant to study the foot morphology of cats to better understand theirtracks.  Next, it helps to become morefamiliar with the kinds of wild cats that live in North America.  Knowing your species will help you narrowdown the possibilities.

Cat Tracks: Foot Morphology

All North American cats share certain features incommon.  All of North American catspecies have 5 toes on their front feet and 4 toes on their hind.  Generally speaking, you will only see fourtoes in both front and hind tracks you find in the field.  Although, cats do have 5 toes on their frontfeet, this fifth toe is further up on the leg and the pad is very reduced insize.

Cats have toes that are arranged in an asymmetricalfashion.  Like the finger on our hands, acat’s longest toe is the toe 3 (on the front) and toe 2 (on the hind, sincethey only have 4 toes on that foot).  Toes are numbered from the inside to the outside of the foot.

Claws generally don’t register in cats, as they are keptsheathed in order to protect them and keep them sharp.  Occasionally, while a cat is walking a steepslope, while it’s chasing prey, or if it’s climbing, you will see claws registerin the tracks.

The main pads on the feet of cats - the metacarpal andmetatarsal pads

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