In The Desert

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Animals

Animal Tracks

Mammals

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Animals

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Home Animals Desert Map Photography What's New?

Events Weather Writer's Cafe City Profiles Life in the Desert Local Happenings

Antelope

Antilocapra americana

Next time your out roaming around in the desert and you find a set of animal tracks be sure to photograph them. You can then compare them to the track outlines shown here for identification. Many times tracks will look different if an animal is running or the soil is loose where you see the tracks. As you spend more time identifying these animals, and seeing the actual animal, then looking for the tracks from that particular animal you'll be better able to identify them. The tracks shown here are for reference only, but will give a good starting point. Many of the tracks ( such as different species of deer, antelope and sheep ) will take time to recognize and make a correct identification as they look very similar.

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

Whitetail Deer

Odocoileus viginianus

Bighorn Sheep

Owis canadensis

Javelina, Peccary

Tayassu tajacu

As you can see from the above, a lot of tracks are very similar. They do have distinct differences though and as you spend time looking at actual tracks left by animals that you've spotted you'll become familiar with these differences. Look closely at the above tracks and you'll see what we mean.

Black Bear

Ursus americanus

Coyote

Canis latrans

Kit Fox

Vulpes macrotis

Gray Fox

Urocyon Cinereoargentius

As you can tell from the above tracks there are certain animals that walk with their claws extended and others, like those in the feline family below, that don't. The Gray Fox track is not very good because of the hair on the bottom of their feet. But this is another way to identify the animal. None of these track imprints are scaled for size. Please keep this in mind.

Cougar, Mountain Lion

Family - Felidae

Bobcat

Family - Felidae

Smaller animal tracks

Utah Prairie Dog

Cynomys parvidens

Raccoon

Procyon (genus)

Skunk

Mephitis mephitis

Opossum

Didelphis virginiana

Porcupine

Erethizon dorsatum

Grey Squirrel

Seiurus carolinensis

Jack Rabbit

Lepus califonicus

Muskrat

Ondatra zibethicus

Mouse

Mus musculus

Many of these animals have sub-species ( like the squirrels ). Most of the animals of the same species will have the same tracks or are very close to the same tracks. Some are readily identifiable, such as the Raccoon track. Raccoons have long toes like fingers while others like the Jack Rabbit have no discernable toes.