Who Pooped?
Photo: N. Sincero 2011, Scat Wrangler: S. Sumrall
The composition of this scat varies widely. It may contain fur (particularly rabbit), berries, insects and plant matter. You might find it in fields and woods, particularly in riparian habitats.
Who pooped?
Leave a comment below with your guess. We will reveal the answer in the comments section on Wednesday, October 19th.
If you have your own natural history mystery (an unidentified animal, plant or other specimen), send a photo or two to naturalist@calacademy.org. We’ll do our best to help out. Please include location, date and any other details that seem pertinent.
Source:
Scats and Tracks of the Pacific Coast, Including British Columbia: A Field Guide to the Signs of 70 Wildlife Species / James C. Halfpenny ; illustrated by Todd Telander. Helena, Mont. : Falcon, c1999. Naturalist Center Reference QL768 .H36 1999
Snake poo.
Comment by Frank Vizarraga — October 19, 2011 @ 3:39 pm
It was a slow week, but thanks for the one guess we received. Our featured poop came from a gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). To learn more about gray foxes, check out the following websites:
We’ll have another “Who Pooped?” challenge soon, but in the meantime, check out our weekly Spotlight On.
Comment by nature — October 19, 2011 @ 4:33 pm
Coyote
Comment by Ellen — October 14, 2012 @ 7:45 pm
Very close ID, Ellen! It’s gray fox scat, which is also cylindrical and pointed in shape like that of a coyote’s. The main way to tell the difference between the two is by diameter: Coyote scat is a bit thicker (1.9 cm compared to 1.5 cm) (per Lynne Levine and Martha Mitchell’s Mammal Tracks and Scat). This is obviously tricky to tell by just a photo.
Comment by nature — October 15, 2012 @ 2:46 pm