THE DAILY POO - The Thread for Scat Enthusiasts

**preachtheWORD** · 07-02-2009, 11:52 AM

Dear Friends,

After having posted two threads featuring pictures of animal droppings, and having observed the great enthusiasm that feces tends to inspire on this board, I have deemed this a subject worthy of an ongoing thread.

Thus, I wish to institute The Daily Poo - The Thread for Scat Enthusiasts.

This can be a place to post pictures of scat for identification, pontification, authentication, and discussification.

To the outside world, animal droppings are a nuisance, something to be ignored or gotten rid of. But in the special world of Wilderness Survival Forums, poo is a thing of wonder and inspiration. Let's face it, something might be wrong with us!

I wish to inaugurate The Daily Poo with my submission, photographed on my walking trail this morning. For some reason, my trail attracts quite a lot of poo.
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Yes, I had to use the Chapstik for scale again. I need to carry a pocket ruler or something.

This poo was pretty soft (and pretty fresh). I could not identify any contents that might give a clue as to what the animal could have been eating - no hair, no seeds, no nuthin', just brown poo. I dilligently searched for tracks or scrapings, but found none. My trail has become popular with the deer and other animals, so the prints of small animals tend to be obscured by the passing of larger animals. This much I could tell - its hindquarters were pointed east when it deposited its bowels.

At first I thought it was from a cat. The size in shape is pretty close. But then I considered the site. Cats would not usually poop in the middle of a trail. Furthermore, cats make at least some effort (usually) to cover their poop with dirt, debris, etc. There was no evidence at all of scraping, or any attempt to cover this poo.

I can't rule out dog poo, except that it is awfully small for a dog. There are stray dogs around, but they are all much too big to make such a small poo.

Maybe a racoon? Or a possum? I am starting to think I need to find Peterson's Field guide to Poop.

Okay, Scat Enthusiasts, what is it?

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PS - The other threads featuring poo can be found at the links below:
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=7535
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=7505

**Bibow** · 07-02-2009, 11:59 AM

A big melted chocolate chip...
Or maybe a small furbearer, weasel?

**preachtheWORD** · 07-02-2009, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Bibow

A big melted chocolate chip...
Or maybe a small furbearer, weasel?

Long-tailed weasels are supposed to range in this area, but I never once seen one, or any tracks. I have seen minks in nearby counties.

**Bibow** · 07-02-2009, 12:04 PM

I would bet that it is a mink or weasel, just because you can't see them doesn't mean their not there. It's definately not chipmunk or squirrel though, it is too big.

**Ken** · 07-02-2009, 12:25 PM

Can anyone identify THIS one?

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**trax** · 07-02-2009, 12:25 PM

Check for other signs in the area, the scat alone isn't going to tell you enough, tracks, scratches, broken branches or shrubs, etcetera. THere's something to be said for the fact that it's on the trail, how wide is the trail? Most animals will look for some privacy, it has more to do than modesty. it's a time that they're very vulnerable. Of course, you keep insisting that it's your trail and they're the ones using it for a facility, so....

**preachtheWORD** · 07-02-2009, 12:53 PM

The trail is about 3' wide.

That is a good point about it being a vulnerable time for animals. Apparently, this one wasn't too concerned (or wasn't too bright), for this was a rather open part of the woods.

As for it being "my trail" you've got a point - if they are poopin' there, it might be their trail!

**trax** · 07-02-2009, 01:00 PM

I just think if it's a wide and well used trail chances are you're looking at droppings from animals that are comfortable around people. Dogs and cats. They come in various sizes so they're gonna leave various sized doo-doos.

and Ken--I don't want to try to identify that, but based on the hat, some kind of holiday turd?

**Ken** · 07-02-2009, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by trax

.....and Ken--I don't want to try to identify that, but based on the hat, some kind of holiday turd?

Ahem. That's Mr. Hanky.

**crashdive123** · 07-02-2009, 02:59 PM

You're naming turds? That's just sick!

**trax** · 07-02-2009, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Ken

Ahem. That's Mr. Hanky.

Tom Hanky? (I just had to ask...)

**Ken** · 07-02-2009, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

You're naming turds? That's just sick!

I didn't name Mr. Hanky.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone did.

**wareagle69** · 07-02-2009, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by preachtheWORD

Long-tailed weasels are supposed to range in this area, but I never once seen one, or any tracks. I have seen minks in nearby counties.

now ya got me confused, yesterday i mentioned on scat pic looked like it was from the mustela family and you said no weasel or mink around cuz no water, fair enough as i do not know your area, but now today you say that there are mustela in your area? very confusing to me

**Rick** · 07-02-2009, 06:54 PM

It could be cat. Remember that dogs have masters and cats have staff. So some of the staff may have been negligent in covering it. It is about the right size. My real guess would be fox or possum.

**preachtheWORD** · 07-02-2009, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by wareagle69

now ya got me confused, yesterday i mentioned on scat pic looked like it was from the mustela family and you said no weasel or mink around cuz no water, fair enough as i do not know your area, but now today you say that there are mustela in your area? very confusing to me

Maps produced by the fish and wildlife service show that the long-tailed weasel is supposed to range over my part of the country - southwestern Virginia.

However, never in my life have I encountered a weasel in these parts, and I have never heard any account of weasels from any local people.

It is correct that there is no major water, nothing more than a trickle, for at least 1.5 miles from where the poo was found. This is a dry slope. It seems an unlikely location for the typically water-loving mustela family.

The weasel (if it is around here) could probably do okay without much water, being more of a predator on small mammals.

I must say, it cracks me up how folks on here (myself included) can find so much to say and to ponder about poo! I already have some new poo for tommorrow's feature!

**wareagle69** · 07-03-2009, 05:56 AM

well to be quite frank i am a poo professional, dare i say expert( lots of folks throwing that word around) but for the last almost 14 years that has been my job, other wise known as a plumber, but yes scat is quite facinating to me, it can tell you so much, ie: you are out in the bush in a new area and stumble across some poo and find berrie seeds in it, at least you know there are some berries close by course so might the bear be but anywho just another part of the puzzle for me to put together, also you mentioned large body of water, i will have to ask my wife and a biologist prof whom i am having coffee with today how much water a mink needs to survive will let ya know this evening

**erunkiswldrnssurvival** · 07-03-2009, 06:10 AM

well, green would suggest a plant diet. brown and smooth with no undigested bone or hair would suggest to me a diet of soft insects.so the poo of a skunk would be my "tenetive" identification..

**preachtheWORD** · 07-03-2009, 12:46 PM

Today's Poo du Jour is Bird Turds.

The larger animals must have gotten wind that I have been exposing their feces on the internet and did not poop along the trail today. But the birds apparently didn't get the memo.

Bird Poo is not quite as exciting as that of larger mammals, but it is still interesting. Some might consider it to be a greater challenge. Anybody can tell you it is bird poo, but it takes someone who really "knows their poo" to tell you what kind of bird dropped it.

Without further adieu, the Poo

Number One

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Lots of little orange seeds in this one.

Number Two (They're all really number two)

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This one had little bits of beetle in it.

Number Three

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This had nothing identifiable in it.

Number Four

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Little purple seeds in it.

Bonus Poo

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This is NOT bird poo. Looks like some kind of larger rodent, perhaps a groundhog. There was just this single pellet all by itself.

So now it is time for Scat Enthusiasts to step up and sort out this poo.

**preachtheWORD** · 07-03-2009, 12:49 PM

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WarEagle, I think you have convinced me. After further study, I strongly suspect this to be the scat of a long-tailed weasel.

The shape and size perfectly matches my Tom Brown book, anyway. Also, this is definitly not poo from a herbivorous animal.