Scat



Fresh northern river otter (Lutra canadensis) scat.  It 
usually includes fish or crayfish and has a greenish tint.

Aged and weathered otter scat, showing more clearly the 
fish scales and bones that it is often made up of.

 

Swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) pellets.  Swamp 
rabbit pellets are typically larger than eastern cottontail
pellets, and are usually deposited on a log or mounded 
clump of grass.

Buffalo (Bos bison) scat.  Notice footprint of unfortunate 
human in lower left corner.

 Common raccoon  (Procyon lotor) scat.  Raccoon 
scat is often found in piles in trees or at the base 
of trees known as latrines.  At certain times
of the year it can consist totally of wild black 
cherry pits, beetle parts, or blackberries.  Raccoons
are extremely omnivorous.

This is an old  coyote  (Canis latrans) scat.  It is made up 
of mostly rabbit and rodent hair with some beetle parts and
gravel also.  Generally, scat over 3/4 of an inch in diameter
is considered coyote, rather than fox scat.

 

This is fresh coyote scat.  We can see persimmon seeds
in this scat, which demonstrates that coyotes are not always carnivorous.


This is  virginia o'possum  (Didelphis virginiana) scat.  The 
identification was made easier by the presence of o'possum 
tracks in the mud.  This scat is very fresh, having been made
no earlier than 2 nights before.

This  whitetail deer  (Odocoileus virginiana) scat is covered
with a white, velvety coat of mildew, indicating that it 
is a few days old.  Deer scat is oblong and dimpled, while 
rabbit scat is more round, and has a smooth surface (see 
swamp rabbit scat).  In summer, deer and rabbit scats are 
softer and darker, while in winter they are more fibrous.
A quarter is shown for scale.

 Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) scat.  Tracks were found
here for confirmation.

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*Produced by Travis Brown 2-22-02