Whether it’s the potential for Bobcats here on PEI or reports of Eastern Cougar on the mainland, wild cats have a mystique that makes many of us want a track to be Feline. This, coupled with how Feline some Canine tracks look, means Dog tracks are sometime mistaken for Cat even by experienced trackers. Let’s look at the differences.
As we saw last week, Felines are among the few Island mammals whose tracks have four toes (the others being Canine and the hind feet of Snowshoe Hare). It’s worth noting that polydactylism (having extra toes) is fairly common in Domestic Cats; additionally, Felines often place their hind foot in the track left by the front foot as they walk. As a result, you can find Cat tracks that either do have or just look like they have five or more toes, but most will follow the four-toe rule.
Remember that Canine tracks have an X-shaped negative space – that area between the imprints left by the pads of the foot. In Felines, the negative space forms a C; you can’t draw an X though the track without hitting one of the toe pads (Photo 1).
Feline tracks are also asymmetrical: one toe leads, like the middle finger of a human hand. Just like our hands, this tells you which foot is which: Photo 1 shows a front left foot. Additionally, the palm pad of Feline tracks is larger in relation to the size of the foot than that of Canine tracks, and you can often imagine fitting all four toe pads into the area of the palm pad.
Photo 2 shows a side-by-side comparison of Domestic Cat and Red Fox tracks so you can see what I mean. Note the comparatively large palm pad of the Cat track, the asymmetry (the leading toe shoes that this is a right foot), and the C-shaped negative space versus the X-shaped space of the Fox track.
You’ll notice that I didn’t mention claws as a way to tell Feline tracks from Canine. That’s because this is not a reliable indicator and it’s not true that Dog tracks show claws and Cat tracks don’t. It IS more common for claws to register in Canine tracks, but this is very much dependant on the substrate and how the animal was moving (its gait).
Photo 3 is a great example of this (photo by Amy Nix, used with permission). You could be forgiven for thinking these are Canine tracks but take a closer look at the indicators: that C-shaped negative space, the large palm pad, and the asymmetry (the lower track is a front right foot). These are Cat tracks, with nails visible because the animal was running in soft sand. Another fantastic example is this Lynx track from Colorado (Photo 4 by Cierra Blea, used with permission). Claws are visible, but you can see all the features that confirm Feline over Canine.
That may sound straightforward, but there are some very Cat-like Dog tracks out there (for example, Photo 5 by Derrick Hoare, used with permission). This track is from Eastern PEI and was described as being 2.5 inches long – within the expected size range for Bobcat. While it has some Feline characteristics, drawing the features onto the track shows that it is definitely Canine.
With potential Feline tracks, I find it especially important to pay attention to all the clues and carefully note those that do – and don’t – fit. Taking a photo and drawing the features onto the track can reveal what is really there, rather than what your brain wanted to see.
Reading wildlife tracks and sign is a great way to get to know your neighbours of other species. If you’re interested in learning more, check out my Zoom workshop coming up on January 21 (details here:https://www.pei-untamed.com/event-details-registration/wildlife-tracks-sign-zoom-workshop). In the meantime, you can learn a new track here each week as we explore PEI untamed!
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