Canine track, Dog, Wolf, Coyote
One easy way to remember a dog or any canine track is to remember what scientist call the X factor.
If you can draw an X across the track from just behind the front toes to just behind the back toes from one side to the other, it will always cross over what is known as a mound that is formed just in front of the pad. This mound is always formed on a canine track. Most of the time you can draw the X across without touching very much of the pad. On a cougar's track you cannot draw the line across without crossing the pad.
Another way is to draw a line across the two front toes, on a canine's track you can always draw a line level across from one toe to the next. On a cougar's toe the line will be angled.
Also something to remember that on any canine's track, there will most of the time be claw marks. On a cougar's track it will very seldom show claw marks, unless the animal is in a running position or a manuvering position and don't forget the three lobes on the rear of the cougar's pad. This is a very important part in identifying a canine or a cougars track. Canines don't have three lobes in the rear of the pad.
Special thanks to Phd Travis Perry of Furman University for information on canine tracks and be sure to check out Kim A. Cabrera's site www.bear-tracker.com, it is one of the best sites that I have seen on track identification
If you can draw an X across the track from just behind the front toes to just behind the back toes from one side to the other, it will always cross over what is known as a mound that is formed just in front of the pad. This mound is always formed on a canine track. Most of the time you can draw the X across without touching very much of the pad. On a cougar's track you cannot draw the line across without crossing the pad.
Another way is to draw a line across the two front toes, on a canine's track you can always draw a line level across from one toe to the next. On a cougar's toe the line will be angled.
Also something to remember that on any canine's track, there will most of the time be claw marks. On a cougar's track it will very seldom show claw marks, unless the animal is in a running position or a manuvering position and don't forget the three lobes on the rear of the cougar's pad. This is a very important part in identifying a canine or a cougars track. Canines don't have three lobes in the rear of the pad.
Special thanks to Phd Travis Perry of Furman University for information on canine tracks and be sure to check out Kim A. Cabrera's site www.bear-tracker.com, it is one of the best sites that I have seen on track identification
Cougar track
