Red Foxes are members of the Dog family. Therefore their tracks will resemble those of domestic dogs. There are, however, a number of diagnostic differences.

Photo by Alexis Burnett

Here are a couple of Red Fox tracks in the snow.

Photo by Alexis Burnett

One of the diagnostic features to tell fox tracks apart from other Dog family tracks is that the underside of foxes paws are covered with hair. Unfortunately I don't yet have a photo showing this!

A nice set of Red Fox tracks in fresh snow.

Another of the distinctive features of Red Fox tracks is the chevron-shaped indentation at the rear of the track.

This shows up clearly in this track.

Foxes usually "direct register". This means that they will place their rear foot directly and exactly into the place where the front foot was placed.

This trail in the snow shows this very well. Looks like a one-legged fox came hopping through!

Here is an enlargement of the first (closest) track:

HAIRS

LAYS

A Red Fox lay. This is a spot where the Fox has spent the day (or night) sleeping.

When Foxes awake and leave their lay area, they will sometimes leave placing their feet precisely into the exact same footprints they made when they came to the lay.

I have seen this, and it is quite amazing to apparently see footprints leading into the lay spot, but none coming out (particularly if the snow has hardened so that the leaving footprints make little or no impression).

Examining the fox lay up close one can find hairs, or at least see the impression of the hairs on the snow. As well, the smell of fox was present.

SCAT

Photo by Alexis Burnett

A fresh Fox scat.

This is likely Red Fox scat, but I am not 100% sure.