Raccoon tracks

Description:

Raccoons have an unusual way of walking where each hind foot lands next to the opposite front foot. Their prints show 5 long toes in the front and hind tracks. The track on the left is the left front and the track on the right is the right hind. Front tracks tend to splay wider than the hind. The palm pad of the hind track is usually larger.

Habitat:

There are tracks all along the water's edge as well as leading to and from the woods along the lake's shore.

Notes:

If water is near, the raccoon will sometimes put its food in the water and roll it around. It looks like it is washing its food, but it is not. The raccoon is softening the food and looking for foreign objects on the food.