Have you ever walked outside in the morning to find that someone, or something, has been quite busy while you were asleep? Here are some hints to help you narrow down your suspects.
There are four main ways that animals move: Walk/Trotters (cat family, dog family, and hoofed animals) move on their toes, front foot on one side, followed by hind foot on the other side. Typically you will only see the hind tracks as they place them on top of the front tracks.
Waddlers (Bears, Beavers, Porcupines, Raccoons, Opossums, Muskrats, Skunks, Woodchucks) move both feet on one side of the body, and then both feet on the other side. Their hind leg often oversteps the front leg.
Bounders (Weasel family) move like accordions. They jump off from their hind feet, stretch out in the air, then their front feet land first before being followed perfectly by their hind feet.
Finally, Hoppers (Rodents, and Lagomorphs i.e. hares) have significantly larger hind feet, compared to their front ones. They jump off of their hind feet, land on their front feet, and swing their hind ones forward. See how many types of movers you can find around your home!