What do opossum footprints look like

Opossum tracks are easily recognizable. Each foot has five toes and their opposable thumb makes for a unique print that resembles a human thumb. If an opossum is on your property you will likely see tracks along deck railings, downspouts, trees and other structures. Opossums will use these areas to gain entry to your home or find food. While they prefer to scurry around the ground, they are also great climbers. They will often climb up walls or onto ledges looking for food.

Their footprints will often overlap or be close together as they tend to walk in a shuffling motion. Another way to identify if a footprint belongs to an opossum is through the feces left behind. Opossums walk on all fours and have five toes on each foot. Prints will be about 2 inches in diameter , with back feet being slightly larger.

You may also see drag marks in opossum tracks as their long tail often drags behind them on the ground. Both opossums and raccoons leave tracks made by four feet with five toes each, but there are some subtle differences that can help you make the distinction.

Raccoon toes or claws are longer, closer together than an opossum, and all toes face forward. In addition, the pattern they leave behind will differ. Raccoons walk in a particular way where each back-foot lands next to the opposite right foot. While an occasional footprint or trail in your yard is usually no big deal, a constant stream of tracks may indicate a full-scale invasion. Raccoon footprints, meanwhile, look like an elongated version of their handprints.

Opossum handprints are more paw-like than raccoon prints; their palms are closer to the triangular shape exhibited by dogs and cats. Image courtesy of Michael Lensi via Wikimedia Commons. Squirrel footprints look similar to raccoon footprints, but they tend to be slightly more rectangular in the sole area. Their toes are also longer and thinner, and may even look a bit more like human hands in their shape and toe distribution.

According to the photographer, this picture was snapped just after the squirrel was spotted bounding across a park road! Front prints are around two inches in diameter while hind prints are moderately larger. They are commonly found in the snow or mud around homes and are often accompanied by drag marks from the opossums' tails. Opossum tracks are often found close together and may even overlap since the pests walk with a distinctive shuffling gait.

Toledo property owners may also find evidence of footprints along deck railings, downspouts, and trees, which opossums climb to gain access to homes and other buildings.