Fox?

Definitely canine IMHO. How long is the track in your estimation? Looks big and deep for a fox, but with the mud anything would sink in pretty far. It cracked the mud around the track as well, which suggest some weight. Also, it had long nails and was probably moving fast, which would also account for the extra depth. What kind of dog do you have?

I have 3 springer spaniels, but their tracks are very different from this track, looking typically rounded, sort of like the symbol for the clubs suit. This track comes from an animal with some long toes and/or toenails. We've had a lot of rain lately, so I don't think the depth of the impression really indicates anything but some real wet ground, but if it was from a racoon or a possum, it was probably a big one, since the print was bigger than I think one of these animals would have.
We also have foxes, coyotes and bobcats here, but they're not common. I'll keep researching it - I haven't found a match, yet.
Thanks!
Sherry

I'd check coyote, they have a slender track. It is not a racoon or opossum. Bobcat tracks are wider. Could also be someone else's dog. How big was the stride between the tracks?

I could only find one other set of tracks, and here's what's really weird - on the other set, the track on the left was big like the one in the picture, and the one on the right was shaped the same but small - huh? The placement of these two different sized tracks makes it just about impossible for one to be the back foot and the other the front foot. These other two prints were about 9" apart.
I forgot about armadilloes - they're plentiful (yuk, I hate 'em!) from spring until fall, but they hibernate or leave the area in the winter time. Hmmmm.....it's been warm lately, in the upper 70's every day, and I saw some areas that looked to have been dug up, armadillo style. Maybe the warm weather woke 'em up! If it did, they'll have to go back underground tomorrow - it's supposed to turn cold, down into the 30's tomorrow night!
Sherry

You're just trying to trick us, aren't you, lol!

Now that we have ALL of the information, I would surely guess dillo. Not only are the tracks a good match, but so is the fact that you haven't seen to many of them. Check out the attached link.

Here is a link that might be useful: What do you think?

Yeh, that extra tidbit of info coulda helped. LOL

No armadillos in Maryland so I was completely duped! LOL

I think armadillos are cute in their own odd way. I wish we did have them.

Hey, thanks for the tracks link. It will be fun to study for future reference. CT

Unfortunately, I think you're right, Rhizo - thanks for the great link. I'm always happy to get to forget armadilloes in winter time! I've planted probably 100 trees and shrubs to replace the many we lost in the hurricane, and in the areas that the armadilloes frequent most, like the area right in front of the house, I've arranged logs with an average diameter of about 18" across around the young trees to keep the armadilloes from reaching them and digging them up. I hope they don't learn to move logs!
Thanks so much to everybody who answered my post!
Sherry