Track an Animal

Animal tracking after rain. Find tracks in the mud, follow them, and figure out who left them.

Go out the morning after rain or a light snow to soft ground: a creek bank, a muddy trail edge or a sandy beach. When you spot a clear print, lay a coin next to it for scale and photograph it from low down. Follow the trail a little way to see whether it walked, hopped or bounded, and look for other clues like chewed pine cones or burrows. Back home, each guess the animal, then check a tracks chart.

• Date or adventure
• 1-3 hours
• Easy
• Free
• Outdoors
• Best in the morning

Photo prompts along the way

1. A print with a coin for scale
2. The trail of prints
3. Another clue nearby
4. Your best guess at the animal

Kids' version

Be a track detective!

1. A muddy spot
2. An animal footprint
3. More prints in a row
4. Another animal clue
5. A selfie with your grown-up!

Checked October 2026

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