What made this footprint in the snow?
Answer:
This track was made by our cat. It looks strange because of the way cats walk. Cats and fox walk by stepping in their own tracks. This is called direct register. Often the back foot comes down perfectly into the track of the front foot, making it look like a single track. Sometimes they miss a bit, which is what happened here, giving the appearance of an extra toe and a broader pad.
Dogs and many other mammals walk with indirect register, with the back foot making a print behind and slightly to the side of the front foot print.
Non-subscriber