Compare the print’s shape and details with a regional guide; do not identify it by size alone. A lion front print is described as having large toe pads and a double indentation along the rear edge of its main pad, while lion hind tracks are narrower than front tracks. The available references show lion and hyena side by side in an African spoor key, but do not support a complete written checklist for identifying hyena tracks, gait or scat. If the print is unclear, record it as uncertain.
What a lion track can show
A Struik Nature field-guide preview describes the lion’s large toe pads and a double indentation on the posterior edge of the main pad in a pictured front track. That rear outline can be a useful feature to inspect when the print is clear; soft, disturbed or incomplete ground may hide it. The same lion entry says, “The hind tracks are narrower than the front tracks.” Compare several prints from one trail where possible rather than treating one print as representative of the whole sequence. Struik Nature field-guide preview
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How to compare a suspected hyena print
The Cheetah Conservation Fund’s 2016 spoor identification key includes silhouettes for African lion and spotted hyena, offering a visual comparison rather than a written diagnostic for every feature. It lists the lion silhouette at 120 mm and the spotted hyena silhouette at 95 mm. Those are dimensions in that key, not universal measurements or reliable cutoffs for prints found in the field. The key also distinguishes spotted and brown hyena, so a comparison should match the local species rather than assume all hyenas leave identical spoor. Cheetah Conservation Fund spoor identification key
The retrieved key does not establish a complete written description of hyena toe shape, claws, pad form or gait. Avoid treating any one of those details as a decisive rule unless a suitable regional reference supports it.
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Use size as context, not a verdict
Print size can help narrow a comparison, but it varies with the animal, age, print completeness and ground conditions. The lion guide cautions that young lion pugmarks may be close in size to leopard tracks, illustrating why footprint dimensions alone can mislead. Its comparison panel labels a lion front print with dimensions of 90–128 mm and 110–130 mm, and a hind print at 120 mm; retain those panel labels and do not combine them into a single threshold. Struik Nature field-guide preview
A practical field comparison
- Record what is visible. Note the outline, toe pads, main pad, approximate dimensions, how complete the print is, and the substrate. These observations are more useful than a quick guess based on width.
- Look for a sequence. If several prints are clear, compare them with one another. For suspected lion spoor, check whether the hind prints are narrower than the front prints.
- Compare both candidates in a regional key. Use an illustrated reference that covers lion and the hyena species found in the area. Southern, Central and East African wildlife guides cover tracks and other signs across those regions; a reference from elsewhere may not fit local species or conditions. Stuarts’ Field Guide to the Tracks & Signs of Southern, Central & East African Wildlife
- Keep uncertain prints uncertain. A partial, distorted or out-of-region print may not support a confident identification. Record the observations and avoid assigning a species when the distinguishing detail is missing.
Can other signs settle the identification?
Tracks and other signs can be considered together, but the available references do not establish a reliable lion-versus-hyena scat distinction. Mpala’s lion page presents tracks and scat together, while broader regional tracking guides cover multiple kinds of sign; neither fact alone makes scat a dependable species test. Mpala lion page Stuarts’ Field Guide
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Choosing a regional reference
- Stuarts’ Field Guide to the Tracks & Signs of Southern, Central & East African Wildlife: the publisher describes colour photographs, descriptions, sketches and measurements for tracks and signs. Publisher information
- Sasol First Field Guide to Animal Tracks of Southern Africa: the publisher describes a beginner-oriented guide with colour photographs and information about common regional tracks. Publisher information
- Pocket Guide Tracks & Tracking in Southern Africa by Louis Liebenberg: the publisher describes spoor illustrations, photographs, scat coverage and introductory tracking guidance. Publisher information
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