Species: Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

What to look for

  1. Toes. Five on the front foot and five on the hind, long and splayed like fingers.
  2. Front track. About 2.5 to 3 inches (6 to 8 cm) long, with width and length generally equal, which is what gives it the hand-like look.
  3. Hind track. About 3.75 to 4 inches (9.5 to 10 cm) long and much longer than it is wide, showing the full sole.
  4. Gait. Flat-footed, with the heels touching the ground, the way people and bears walk.
  5. Pairing. Tracks usually fall in pairs, with the left hind foot placed beside the right forefoot, which gives the trail its offset look.
  6. Stride. About 12 inches (30 cm), varying with the size and speed of the animal.

Easily confused with

Opossum tracks. Smaller, with Maine putting the front at about 1.25 inches and the hind at 2 inches, and a tail mark often crossing the trail.

Young black bear tracks. Also flat-footed and five-toed, but the hind sole reaches 7 inches or more and the toes are short pads rather than long fingers.

Striped skunk tracks. Around 2 inches front and hind on Maine's guide, noticeably smaller than a raccoon's hand-shaped front print.

Where and when

Missouri describes raccoons as living in wooded areas and neighborhoods, preferring timbered habitat near water and weighing 6 to 25 pounds. The clearest prints appear in mud along streams, ponds and shorelines. The trail often meanders, because the animal is turning over leaf litter as it hunts for worms.

Related signs

  • Deer tracks: A deer track is a split, upside-down heart: two pointed toes side by side, symmetrical, about 2.5 to 3 inches long in Maine's guidance and up to 4 inches in Missouri's.
  • Bear tracks: A black bear leaves two very different prints.
  • Coyote tracks: A coyote track is a compact oval about 2.5 inches long and 2 inches wide, with four toes and toenail marks that nearly always print.

Sources