Bobcat Track
Photo Gallery
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The photographs below are some of the best bobcat track photos I've ever taken. These photos show good detail in the tracks. They are good for learning the characteristics of feline tracks because so many details are visible. Lots of photos, so give the page time to load. If you want to go to the main bobcat page, here is the link: Bobcat Page |
A bobcat trail on an overstep walk gait. This gait shows the hind foot landing ahead of the front foot. It is a common gait used by bobcats. The direction of travel is indicated by the red arrow in the photo. The ruler is six inches long for comparison. (15.2 cm) |
A longer section of bobcat trail showing the overstep walk. The tracks do not overlap perfectly. If they did, the hind tracks would land directly on the tracks left by the front feet. That is called "direct register." The photo shows "indirect register." Direction of travel is indicated by the red arrow. |
A nice left front track. All the details are visible here. Lack of claw marks, asymmetrical toe alignment, two lobes on leading edge of heel pad, three lobes on trailing edge of heel pad, C-shaped negative space. The toes are roughly teardrop-shaped. The track is slightly wider than it is long. The heel pad is large in relation to the toe size. All of these are feline track characteristics. Again, the size (about two inches long) tells you this is a bobcat track. |
Left front and left hind bobcat tracks. Look closely at the size and shape of the heel pad on the hind track. Notice that it is smaller and narrower than that of the front paw. This will help you identify front vs. hind tracks in the field. |
Right hind track of a bobcat. If you compare this to the front track, you will see that the track overall is longer and narrower than the front track. The heel pad is smaller and more dainty. The leading toe still shows up in the hind track, but often it can be confusing. This why it's a good idea to look at more than one track in a sequence. |
This right hind track shows nice detail of the heel pad. The right toe is not as deeply impressed as the others. This is due to the fact that the bobcat was walking on a slight slope at the time. Variations in terrain distort tracks and can confuse beginning trackers. The cure for this is to examine many tracks over a long time. (Trackers call this Dirt Time! Dirt time is any time you spend practicing the art of tracking.) Variations in terrain, substrate, and ground cover, are probably the main reasons that some tracks are mis-identified. |
The track labeled A is a domestic cat track. The red arrow shows the direction of travel. The tracks labeled B are bobcat tracks, with arrows to show direction of travel. The bobcat tracks had been rained on and the domestic cat track was freshly made. The three lobes of the heel pad are very clear on the domestic cat track. |
The beautiful track cast shows the print of the left front paw. The track cast is the "positive" image and the track is the "negative." The cast is actually a cast of the foot of the animal. If you touch it, you can feel the details of the foot that made the track. Casts provide a tactile way to study tracks. I have also used casts when making tracking presentations to various groups, including some folks who had vision impairments. The casts help them to see the tracks in a different way. If you are going to teach tracking in your community, think about bringing along some casts so that everyone is included. There is no reason anyone should be left out. |
This fantastic cast shows the right front paw of a bobcat. This was one of the most perfect bobcat tracks I've found. It was well worth making a cast of it. This material is a new kind of casting material that I am trying out. I have used plaster of Paris for years. It is a good cast material, but somewhat soft. There are better, and more expensive, casting materials such as dental stone and Traxtone. This material was called Rockite and it did not cost much more than the plaster. It is a cement patch material and worked well for casting. It was easy to get at a local hardware store. Materials like dental stone and Traxtone have to be mail-ordered. |
Compare the heel pads of this hind track with those of the front tracks above. The overall shape of the track is also longer and more oblong than the front tracks above. You can still tell that this is a right foot by looking for the leading toe. Remember that you are looking at a "positive" image rather than a "negative" image, so the leading toe will be on the opposite side. |
This bobcat track photo was taken in low light. In order to bring out the track, I severely adjusted the contrast in the photo. This is a good way to bring out the details in photos taken in difficult conditions. The heel pad here shows good detail, despite having been rained on. |
The toe imprints in this bobcat track are very deep because the animal was walking down an incline. The slope was downward toward the top of the photo. This is the sort of situation in which you might find claw marks in the tracks. A track like this might also lead you to look more closely for any signs of a change in gait or activity indicated by the tracks. |
Bobcat Track Photo Gallery |
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What else can you find in the nature store? Beartracker's T-shirts, sweatshirts, journals, book bags, toddler and infant apparel, mouse pads, posters, postcards, coffee mugs, travel mugs, clocks, Frisbees, bumper stickers, hats, stickers, and many more items. All with tracks or paw prints, or nature scenes. Custom products are available. If you don't see the track you want on the product you want, email me and I can probably create it. Proceeds from all sales go to pay the monthly fees for this web site. You can help support this site as well as get great tracking products! Thank you! |
Find other tracking products: www.zazzle.com/tracker8459* |
Also
visit these fine stores for more products of
interest:
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! |
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Got a bobcat story? E-mail me and tell me about it. You are visitor number: Back to the Bobcat Tracks Page Copyright © 2009, 2018. Text, drawings, and photos by Kim A. Cabrera |
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Copyright © Kim A. Cabrera - Desert Moon Design
Page updated: March 18, 2018
For more cool tracking products, visit my other store at: www.zazzle.com/tracker8459*
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