Animal identifier ยท Dogs and foxes
Canis latrans
Nearly all of the U.S. and Canada, including cities and farmland. Oval dog track, usually 2.5 to 3.5 inches, with claw marks.
What does a coyote look like?
Slim canid, gray-tan, pointed muzzle, tail down. Larger than a fox, smaller and narrower than a wolf.
What do coyote tracks look like?
More oval and compact than a typical dog of the same weight. Nails usually print. The animal direct-registers, so the trail looks like one line of prints.
- Oval dog track, usually 2.5 to 3.5 inches, with claw marks
- Front two toes often sit side by side, and the print looks narrow
- Trail is often a nearly straight line
- Scat is twisted, tapered, full of hair and seeds, often left on a trail
- Bushy tail carried low. Pointed ears.
What does coyote poop look like?
Rope-like, tapered at the ends, often with hair, fur, or berry seeds. Commonly placed in the middle of a trail. Do not handle droppings. Several species carry parasites that stay in the soil around a latrine, including the deer tick.
Where you find it
Nearly all of the U.S. and Canada, including cities and farmland. Typical places: field, woods, yard, desert. Year-round. Tracks in mud, sand, and snow.
What to do next
- Do not feed
- Haze an animal that loses fear of people
- Keep pets leashed and small pets supervised at dusk
This page is a field guide, not a permit to approach wildlife. If an animal is injured, aggressive, or inside a house, call a local wildlife officer.
Animals it is confused with
- Red fox identification
- Gray wolf identification
- Domestic dog identification
- All animal identification pages
- Identify an animal from a photo, track, or description
An oval print about 2.5 to 3.5 inches with claw marks and a tight, straight trail.
A twisted, tapered cord with hair or seeds, often left on a path.
How to tell a coyote from similar animals
Use the track, the dropping, and the place together. One print is not enough.
- Red fox. A dainty canid print. Red-orange body, black stockings, white tip on the tail.
- Gray wolf. A big canid print. Large canid, long legs, broad head.
- Domestic dog. Claw marks and four toes like a coyote, but the trail behavior gives it away. Any pet dog.
Coyote field marks
- Oval dog track, usually 2.5 to 3.5 inches, with claw marks
- Front two toes often sit side by side, and the print looks narrow
- Trail is often a nearly straight line
- Scat is twisted, tapered, full of hair and seeds, often left on a trail
Where the sign shows up
Nearly all of the U.S. and Canada, including cities and farmland. Typical places: field, woods, yard, desert. Year-round. Tracks in mud, sand, and snow.
More oval and compact than a typical dog of the same weight. Nails usually print. The animal direct-registers, so the trail looks like one line of prints. Rope-like, tapered at the ends, often with hair, fur, or berry seeds. Commonly placed in the middle of a trail.
Common questions
What do coyote tracks look like?
An oval print about 2.5 to 3.5 inches with claw marks and a tight, straight trail.
What does coyote poop look like?
A twisted, tapered cord with hair or seeds, often left on a path.