Scat and Track Identification

If you encounter tracks or scat, please take a photo and send it to us!  It would be incredibly helpful if you had a ruler or even a coin or your hand/foot to place next to the sighting so that we can get an idea of its size; using any sort of identifiable scale is ideal. When photographing tracks and scat, place the ruler next to the sign and take several pictures from different angles – this makes it much easier for us to help you identify the sign. Many times it is extremely difficult, or even impossible, to identify the animal who made a track or scat, even for us! We’ve included the identification guide below for you, but we know it is very difficult to identify an animal in this way, so please send us a picture if you need assistance when you find either sign in the wild.

Track and Scat Identification Guide


Animal Identification

Additionally, if you spot something but have trouble identifying a mammal species of interest in your neighborhood or backyard, please refer to the guide below. And if you’re still not sure, always feel free to send us an email citscima@amherst.edu.

Animal Identification Guide