| Stride | Distance from heel (or toe) of a foot to the heel (or toe) of the same foot where it next touches the ground. We have adopted Jim Halfpenny's definition of stride. |
| Half Stride | Distance from heel (or toe) of the right foot to the heel (or toe) of the left foot. We have coined this term to describe what many texts call "stride". |
| Straddle | Distance from outer edge of left track to outer edge of right track. |
| Trail Width | Same as straddle. Different authors use different terms. |
| Group | Distance from heel of first foot to touch ground to the toe of last foot to touch the ground. Used with gallops and bounding strides. Group length increases with speed. |
| Intergroup | Distance between two groups. Used with gallops and bounding strides. Intergroup length increases with speed. |
| Bound | Both hind feet hit the ground at the same time. Rabbits, small rodents, and some weasels have bounding gaits. |
| Diagonal Stride | Alternating left and right tracks. Humans, canines, felines, and ungulates all have a diagonal stride when walking and trotting. |
| Walk | Normal walking stride. In most animals with a diagonal stride, the hind foot registers directly on the front track in a walk. |
| Amble | A fast walk. The hind foot oversteps the front foot. |
| Trot | Between a walk and a gallop in speed. Hind foot registers directly on front food. A common and efficient gait of a red fox (or other canines) making its rounds. |
| Lope | A slow gallop. The hind feet overlap the front feet, usually in a F-H-F-H pattern. |
| Gallop | A fast gait where the hind feet extend beyond the front feet in a F-F-H-H pattern. See rotagallop and transverse gallop for typical patterns. |
| Rotagallop | A gallop with a shallow C pattern. |
| Transverse gallop | A gallop with a Z pattern. |
| Digits | Toes. |
| Interdigital pad | Main pad around which the digits (toes) are arranged. Some animals also have a small proximal pad. |
| Toe numbering | Toes are numbered from inside out. Our thumb is toe 1, our index finger is toe 2, etc. In 4-toed tracks (e.g., canines and felines) toe 1 does not register. In 2-toed tracks (e.g., ungulates), you see toe 3 and 4 -- toe 1 is missing and the dew claws are toes 2 and 5. |
| Bird toe numbering | The toe pointing back is toe 1 (though it may not show in the tracks of some birds). Most birds show toes 2, 3, and 4. |