TRACKS: Sorting Fox from Dog

[JonathanD]

To most people, identifying fox tracks in a woodland full of dog walkers is a nightmare, and tracking them made much harder too. So here's a good tip for sorting out fox prints from dogs.

If you pick three longish, straight pieces of grass or very fine twigs and lie them as an X between the pads, a foxes print will not allow the grasses to cross over pads. Also if you lay one across the top of the outer toe pads, then the front pads should always rest above the line and not protrude below it.

It's quite difficult to show it in a picturthis as it was taken at an angle, but you should get an idea...

It obviously also depends on the track degredation, but once you have your 'eye-in' to spot these detail, you can leave the grass behind and easily track foxes along busy woodland paths well used by dogwalkers.

 

[BOD]

Jon,

Does this apply to wild (not feral) dogs, jackals, dholes etc.?

Never know if it is a feral mutt or something else

Wild dog is hard to find - wild cats and leopards are common

 

[JonathanD]

I think the majority of wild dogs similar in form to the fox like jackal, etc have the characteristic X shape like the fox, but the two forward toes sit slightly further back. Larger, heavier set species like hyena and wild dog lack both characteristics of the fox and appear much like domestic dogs prints. I can only speak from looking at tracks in Africa though, not sure if this holds true for the rest of the world. I wouldn't know where to start sorting out feral dogs tracks from wild dogs.

I did try to identify different breed of domestic dog tracks by watching people walk their dogs and then wait a while before following the dog tracks, trying to seperate the breeds and building a base knowledge of sizes, but short of seperating terriers from show dogs due to the gait, and larger breeds from smaller, I gave up. Far too complicated. Excellent way to learn tracking and behaviour from examining tracks though. Watch the dogs behaviour and then go and match the track to the behaviour you saw. Applied to wild animals, you can then see when they are startled, pausing, trotting, scenting or playing etc.

 

[shaggystu]

thanks for that jonathan, really good tip, i know what i'll be doing when i walk the dog in the morning.

stuart

 

[Bushwhacker]

If the track is clear enough another distinguishing feature is the rear pad.
No other canid apart from fox has that sort of jelly beanish shape, however you'd describe it.

 

[tommy the cat]

Some good tips. I new the straight line one but not the other. Generally the fox is narrower as well.
D

 

[BOD]

Jon,

I checked the tracks of our hybrid dingo. Not like the fox more like the dog.

 

[JonathanD]

Jon,

I checked the tracks of our hybrid dingo. Not like the fox more like the dog.

That would tally with what I've seen in Africa. It is only the slight built dogs that have similarities to the fox. Sifting out the different species in your area must be really difficult.

 

[JeroenK]

Another thing you can keep the two seperated from is the overall shape. The fox looks like a waterdroplet (as someone said, narrower). And the domestic dog has a cumulus cloud shape.
This sometimes also comes in handy when you only have a depression.

And the tracks are different of course... Fox is more determined about where he goes, dogs who are finally outside and able to run go around in circles.

Hope this helps.

 

[addo]

Thanks for that Jonathan.
I keep forgetting and I think I'll start pacticing more next time I'm out, the two tracks are often mixed together at my spot.

 

[Ruvio]

Brilliant thread. Thanks a lot Jonathan
I'm awful at distinguishing fox/dog, this'll help a lot

 

[Pablo]

That would tally with what I've seen in Africa. It is only the slight built dogs that have similarities to the fox. Sifting out the different species in your area must be really difficult.

I would concur with that. Jack Russells and some other terriers (esp the rear paw) looks very much like a fox. Consider the track in context (as with any track)

 

[Dartmoor navigator]

Great stuff... But being a bit OCD, I am now confused becase this (top picture) http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67474] Looks more like the example of a dog???

 

[JonathanD]

Great stuff... But being a bit OCD, I am now confused becase this (top picture) http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67474] Looks more like the example of a dog???

It does on first glance. But apply the technique outlined above and you will see it's not....

 

[Dartmoor navigator]

Thanks, Jonathan
I sort of did that in my mind's eye. I should have 'actually' done it.

Ta

:-D

 

[JonathanD]

You can see that actual fox prints in soft surface, look completely different from the idealised guidebook images. They differ on all surfaces and at different speeds. The X and _ rules always apply. Allthough you may have to consider the forced surface of softer substrates.

 

[Pablo]

The front paws of a fox are slightly larger so it might look like a dog at first glance. This is a pristine track. Almost looks like it's been planted. There's no sign of registration or other action indicators within the track itself.

 

[Bluefrog]

one more tip, you can sometimes see faint hair makes at the center of the X on a fox track, occasionally a hair is left in the track.

 

[Prawnster]

Excellent thread. I'll put this to good use tomorrow, thanks very much.