Wolf Tracks: Identification Guide for Snow, Mud, and More

Spotting wolf tracks for the first time can be a memorable experience. However, it can be tough to differentiate between wolf tracks, coyote tracks, or domestic dog tracks. Therefore, due to the wolf’s elusive nature, there’s a good chance the pawprint in front of you belongs to a large dog. But if you are in a rural area completely isolated from humans, there is an even better chance you are looking at wolf tracks! Wolves have four symmetrical toes on their front and hind feet, but the front pawprint is slightly longer and broader than the hind. Also, because they don’t have retractable claws like cats, there should be visible claw marks. Unfortunately, dogs and coyotes have the same characteristics, but there are several differences that set them apart, so continue reading to find out more about identifying wolf tracks.

Signs There Are Wolves in the Area

There are three ways to determine if these furry canines are close by. The first is the most obvious, hearing or seeing them. But wolves are notorious for being shy and can easily pass through an area undetected. So the other two signs there are wolves in your area are:

Kill Sites

It’s easy to determine if wolves are in your area by their kill sites. For example, the ground around the kill will often be surrounded by tracks and several trails leading in and out of the area. Additionally, there are generally wolf beds along the trails because they like to sleep after a big meal. The carcasses will vary. Sometimes they consume the whole thing, with only blood and bones remaining; other times, they hardly eat anything. Wolves will often return to these sites months after leaving.

Tracks

One of the best ways to find out if there are wolves in your area is by finding their tracks. While their paw prints are very similar to dogs or coyotes, it is fairly easy to differentiate between them due to their size. For example, a wolf’s track is twice as big as a coyote’s. Another way to distinguish tracks is by the way the canine walks. Whether wolves walk through deep snow or on a dry trail, they waste very little energy and will almost always walk in a line. However, dogs are different and tend to wander, leaving scattered prints. Finding tracks in deep snow is more challenging as they are rarely visible. Instead, concentrate your efforts on narrow trails because when wolves navigate through deep snow, they will step in the wolf’s tracks in front of them, leaving more distinct paw prints. Unfortunately, this behavior makes it hard to tell how many wolves are in a pack.

Different Types of Wolf Tracks

As there are two species of wolves and around 40 subspecies, their tracks will differ in size and shape. So, this article will concentrate on three of the most popular species.

Arctic Wolf

Arctic wolves are native to the colder regions of North America and Greenland. They inhabit the Arctic tundra in areas covered in snow and ice, except for a brief time during the warmer months. Additionally, they can be found in the Arctic region’s northern rolling hills, glacier valleys, and ice fields surrounding shallow lakes. These wolves are also known as polar or white wolves, and they are a sub-species of grey wolves. They are the only wolf species that are completely white, a unique trait they adapted to blend into the environment where they live. Luckily for these canines, they live in remote areas unaccessible by hunters or habitat destruction, so their population is unaffected by the same factors as their cousins down south. However, they are threatened by global warming as their habitat gets hotter each year, melting the ice they use to their advantage to survive.

Arctic Wolf Track

The Arctic wolf has similar tracks to other wolf subspecies;  their paw prints generally measure between 5 inches in length and 4 inches wide. Furthermore, they have four symmetrical toes and distinct claw imprints, and the front foot pads have single lobes. In addition, they have a countercurrent heat exchanger in their paws, which is a function Actric wolves have that keeps their paws at a lower temperature than the rest of their bodies, which minimizes heat loss even though the paws are in contact with the cold ground. Therefore, the blood in the paws is used to heat up the blood leaving their feet, preventing the body’s core from cooling down. There are several animals that share this useful mechanism, like birds, specifically penguins and ducks.

Eurasian Wolf

The Eurasian wolf‘s size depends on its geographical location. For example, wolves in Scandinavia and Russia are bigger than those inhabiting Western Europe. Adult Eurasian wolves from Russia measure 41 to 63 inches in length and 31 to 33 inches in height. In addition, they weigh approximately 71 to 110 pounds. However, the maximum weight can range from 152 to 176 pounds. The largest Eurasian wolf on record was killed after World War II in the Poltavskij region in the Ukrainian SSR; it weighed a whopping 190 pounds. However, larger weights of 203-212 pounds have been reported in Ukraine but never documented.

Scandinavian wolves are similar in size to Russian wolves, but they are sturdier with deeper shoulders. On the other hand, Italian wolves are smaller, only measuring 43 to 58 inches in length and 19 to 27 inches in height. Furthermore, their weight ranges from 55 to 77 pounds. Lastly, the extinct British wolves were very similar in size to the Arctic wolves.

Eurasian Wolf Track

Eurasian wolf tracks are rare in Europe despite their populations being on the rise. This is due to their nature, as they avoid humans at all costs.

Eurasian wolf tracks look almost exactly like dog tracks, but due to the wolf’s size, it’s easy to determine that their paw print will be significantly bigger, usually around 3 to 5 inches long. Another way to figure out if you are looking at a dog or wolve print is by the way they walk. Wolves typically walk in a straight line, while dogs are more scattered.

Gray Wolf

The grey wolf is the largest existing member of the Canidae family. They are easily distinguishable by their less pointed muzzle and ears. In addition, they have shorter bodies and longer tails compared to other wolf species

Gray wolves are generally gray with dark markings and light bellies. However, they also come in red, brown, or white. These wolves have a thick double coat, a coarse outer coat, and a soft undercoat. They also have an incredible sense of smell and a keen sense of hearing, making them deadly hunters. In addition, their long legs allow them to take big strides, increasing their speed to help them catch their prey. Gray wolves inhabit Eurasia and North America, and they are mainly found in the wilderness or remote areas. However, they also occur in shrublands, forests, grasslands, inland wetlands, pastures, rocky peaks, and deserts.

An average gray wolf pack size ranges from seven to eight wolves, which includes an alpha male, females, and their pups. Alphas are in charge of the pack, deciding where they live, how large their territory is, and finding and hunting down prey. Members of these packs are close and have a wide variety of calls they use to communicate with each other, like howls, barks, growls, and whines. Lastly, these wolves are nocturnal, meaning they do most of their hunting at night.

Gray Wolf Track

The gray wolf has flexible feet, with four toes on the hindfoot and five on the forefoot. However, only four toes touch the ground while they are walking. Additionally, each paw has a large, calloused pad and non-retracting claws, which comes in handy for digging through loose surfaces. Therefore, their paw prints measure around five inches long and four inches wide. There will be four symmetrical toe prints and evident claw imprints. These can easily be mistaken for dog tracks, but they are much larger than even the biggest dog breed’s paw prints.

Wolf Tracks in Snow

There are many places to find wolve tracks in the snow because they occur on various continents. For example, they are often located in the Arctic tundra, rocky peaks in North America, and snow-filled mountains in Eurasia. It’s harder to identify their tracks in deeper snow, but they make excellent impressions in compact snow. However, while tracks in compact snow make clear impressions, they lack contrast in bright areas, which might inhibit visibility. These tracks will include a palm pad and four asymmetrical toe pads.

In areas with lots of snowfall, you can use your knowledge of native species to distinguish tracks. For example, in North America, there are coyotes, lynxes, foxes, and bobcats that have similar tracks. The only paw print that will match the wolf’s in size is the lynx, but their prints are rounder, making them visibly different from the wolf. The wolf has narrower tracks that form a teardrop shape and toes that meet at a point.

Wolf Tracks in Mud

In the hotter climates, you will likely find wolve prints in the mud or soft types of ground. The impression is made because their weight causes their paws to imprint in the soft earth. However, it is much easier to spot tracks in the snow. Luckily wolves also inhabit forests and inland wetlands where there is plenty of mud to leave clear tracks. You should be able to see four toe pads, a palm pad, and distinct claw impressions in the mud. Although wolves are elusive, they sometimes make their way to suburban areas to scavenge for food, so their footprints are often mistaken for large dogs. However, even a massive breed like the Saint Bernard only has paws measuring around 2.5 inches long, while a wolf’s paw is usually about 5 inches long.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Dennis W Donohue/Shutterstock.com