If you want to go to the main bobcat page, here is the link: Bobcat Page

The red arrow points out a pair of domestic cat tracks, for size comparison with the bobcat tracks below right. The bobcat walked here first. The domestic cat was my cat, Boots, who followed me on a walk and stepped next to the bobcat prints.

This is one of the most perfect bobcat tracks ever. A nicely detailed right front footprint in mud. This track may belong to a male bobcat due to the size of the heel pad.

A very nice bobcat print in deep mud. This print shows the details of the foot pad structure very well. The two lobes on the leading edge of the pad are very clear in this print.

A pair of bobcat tracks in mud. The one above is the right hind foot and the one below is the right front foot. On both tracks, the leading toe is very apparent. This is toe number three. Toes are numbered beginning with the inner one, or the "thumb." The inner toe sometimes shows up in bobcat tracks. It is called the dewclaw.

Here you can see the tracks of a gray fox next to those of a bobcat. The bobcat's feet are slightly larger than the fox's. The fox tracks show typical canine structure. The feline tracks show the larger heel pad and asymmetrically aligned toes that are typical of all felines.

This nearly perfect bobcat track was found in wet sand near the river. Notice the small white hair on the left side of the footprint. This perfect track shows all the details that make this a cat track. The two lobes on the leading edge of the heel pad and the three lobes on the hind edge of the heel pad. The lack of claw marks. The asymmetrical alignment of the toes, with one toe leading. The c-shaped negative space between the heel and the toes. The M-shaped heel pad. The overall round outline of the track.

This close-up shows the heel pad from the track above. Notice the line on the lower left? That line is actually the edge of the foot. When measuring this track, you would use that edge, rather than the bigger outline, to give you a better size estimate of the foot. This is called the minimum outline method of measuring tracks, and is the correct way to measure them.

This highly detailed bobcat track shows all the details. There is an imprint from the dewclaw, also called the pollex, or "thumb." The carpal pad, located higher up on the "heel" is seen here. The leading toe is very clear in this imprint. This is the left front track. The dewclaw is only located on the front foot. There is no dewclaw on the hind foot.

This cast was made from the perfect track above. A indicates the leading toe. B indicates the imprint left by the dewclaw, or pollex (thumb). C indicates the imprint left by the carpal pad. 

Another perfect bobcat track showing all the details. This one is the right front track. you can clearly see the imprint of the carpal pad. The dewclaw is more difficult to make out, but it is there. The leading toe tells you this is the right track. The presence of the dewclaw and carpal pad tell you it is the front track. 

A nicely formed left front bobcat track in mud. The outer toes show clearly the roundish shape that helps differentiate them from dog tracks, which have a roughly triangular shape to the outer toes.

Bobcat Track Photo Gallery

  Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  | Page 4 | Page 5

NDN Pride shop - For Indian Pride items for all tribes. Custom items available on request.

ASL Signs of Love - For anyone who uses or is learning ASL, American Sign Language. Custom name items and more are available here.

Get Every Child Outdoors (Get E.C.O.) - My shop dedicated to nature and getting kids interested in nature and the outdoors.

Sales from all stores give commissions to Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den, which helps keep this site online as a free service. We are celebrating ten years online this year!

Got a bobcat story? E-mail me and tell me about it.

tracker777@hotmail.com

You are visitor number:
All counters reset in October 2000.

Back to the Animal Tracks Den

Copyright © 2010, 2011. Text, drawings, and photos by Kim A. Cabrera

If you like the information provided here and find it useful,
donations are accepted through PayPal.
Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den is provided as a free service, but your
donations are sincerely appreciated to pay the monthly hosting fees.
If you wish to help in another way, we do have a store where you can purchase
custom tracking items.
Thank you and happy tracking!