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Name This Animal

Can anyone identify this animal by looking at its scat?

16 years ago

Hi Everyone,

I could really use some help. Can anyone identify the animal that is pooping in my yard. I thought maybe this was from the mama raccoon and her babies that were living in my yard but this poo doesn't match the descriptions and pics I have seen on the internet for raccoon scat. Now I think it might be cottontail rabbit. Any thoughts?

http://www.freewebs.com/joulet/jouletspics.htm

Thank you for your help,

Joule

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Comments (7)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
16 years ago
Joule, I could not access the image.
joulet
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi again,

I think I posted the wrong link. Here it is again. If that doesn't work, I am forwarding one pic here as well. It is the same one from the link except I had to shrink it to submit to this site and it might not be as clear. If you can, please check the new link first.

Here is a link that might be useful: Poop pics
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
16 years ago
Well, if those are regular nickels and not SUPER sized ones, then that is awfully teensy 'scat'. ;-)

How would you feel about earthworm castings?

Here is a link that might be useful:
joulet
Original Author
16 years ago
WOW! THANK YOU!!! That's great! I was shocked to see the picture. I would never have guessed that in a million years. I think you are right!!! Yeah! :)

So, that explains how these piles disappear after it rains. Its just a pile of dirt. My only question relates to the size. The pic you linked to doesn't have a discernable reference as those grass leaves could be any size. So since there is this size reference issue in the photo that you linked to, I will e-mail Walter Reeves at his site just to verify that the stuff in my yard is the right size for it to be these earthworm castings. It sure does look like it from the pic. I am so happy that's all it is!

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!!
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
16 years ago
Here's another image. The grass is just plain turfgrass.

If you think about it a minute, you'll agree that something awfully small had to be responsible for those little pellets. ;-)

Here is a link that might be useful:
joulet
Original Author
16 years ago
Well, you were right. When I got home tonight, I checked the piles in the yard and saw that there were little holes below the pile where the worms dug through the earth.

When I first saw the piles in the yard, I thought they might be ant holes but upon close inspection the pellets looked too big to be from ants and there did not appear to be any holes.

I am so glad to find out that it is not animal poo.

Thank you so much for your help.

Joulet
tdhall56
16 years ago
If you are interested in seeing the worm, get a wooden stake and make some knotches along it's length. Place it vertically near the castings and rub the stake up and down with a metal rod or another stick. If done right, the vibration will cause the worm to come out of the ground, not always from the castings but nearby. You can also pour a little bleach on the castings and this will bring them out, but that seems cruel to me. My friend used to get his fishing worms this way and some of them were huge.

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