Reading the Tracks
- balzaccom
- Oct 7, 2025
- 1 min read
Another of our favorite online communities had a discussion recently about animal tracks--specifically mountain lion vs coyote tracks. One response was very helpful:
The general rules for identifying cat vs. dog tracks still apply to mountain lions and bobcats, but there are more specific details that help distinguish them from each other and from domestic animals.
Here's a breakdown:
Claw Marks: Like domestic cats, both mountain lions and bobcats have retractable claws, so their tracks almost never show claw marks. If you see claw marks, the track is much more likely to be from a dog, coyote, or fox.
Main Pad Lobes: Feline tracks, including those of mountain lions and bobcats, typically have a heel or main pad with a distinct M-shape or two lobes at the front and three lobes at the back. Canine tracks, by contrast, have a main pad with only two lobes at the back.
Asymmetry: Mountain lion tracks are asymmetrical. If you were to draw a line through the middle of the track, the toes on one side would be slightly ahead of the toes on the other.
Size: This is the most crucial way to tell the difference. Mountain lion tracks are much larger than bobcat tracks.
Mountain lion tracks are typically 3-5 inches wide.
Bobcat tracks are about 1.75-2.5 inches wide, which is roughly twice the size of a domestic cat's track.
So now you know. Keep you eyes open out there!
Here's a link to the discussion on backcountrypost.com: