How to identify skunk tracks

There are few animals that scare people more than a skunk does. It is not that they are particularly dangerous animals. It is that the odor that they can release when they are attempting to ward of potential predators is so obnoxious that few can handle the stench and the horrible effects that it has on their eyes. It is truly an unbelievable smell that you should hope you never get to enjoy first hand.



The problem that many people face is that they have no real idea that a skunk has been moving around their property. There have probably been signs that the skunk has been around your home, but you were not aware of them because you don’t really know what to look for. This is quite common.

The fact remains that one of the best ways that you can tell if a skunk has been on your property is by the tracks that he or she has left. Like any other animal, as the skunk moves around on your land it is going to leave tracks wherever it goes, clearly letting you know that it is there. However, if you do not know what a skunk track looks like then this is of no use to you. What you need to know is how to identify skunk tracks.

What you will find is that the skunk actually produces two different kinds of tracks. There are those for its front feet and then the back paws give a different kind of track. The front paw is going to display a thumb and four fingers. Like people, the thumb is on the inside of the paw, closest to the body. You will find that the front paw of a skunk is very similar to that of a bear. It looks a great deal like this, only a lot smaller in size.

The back paw is a lot different. This is very much like you would find with virtually any other kind of rodent of similar size, including a squirrel. The foot is much larger in size to give the animal a lot more power to its hind legs. This also allows the skunk to stand on the back feet to reach for things while being able to maintain its balance.

The back foot had five toes to it and has a very similar look to what you would find on a human being. There is an arch, a heel to the foot, and clearly defined toes that will show. This is usually just a few inches in length.

One thing that will make it abundantly clear that you have a skunk around is the fact that you will see lots of these tracks. They do not run particularly fast or hop away, so there will be many tracks that depict the pathway that the skunk is using to get around on your property. If you see several of these tracks then you know that you have an issue and that you need to start taking steps immediately. Read more: Skunk Control, how to kill skunks.