Identifying the Animal which left Brown or Black Droppings
WARNING: Droppings are potentially hazardous!
Are the droppings...
If the droppings present are smaller than those of a dog click
here.
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Photo compliments of Jennifer Schloth. Note the size of the droppings in comparison to the shovel. Bear droppings can be huge. They can also exhibit a wide variety of colors depending on what the bear is eating.
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Coyote (Canis latrans)
Droppings tend to be several inches long, full of animal hair (particularly in the winter time when fruit is not available) and dark due to the coagulated animal blood of their prey. Droppings will also be frequently located at strategic locations such as cross roads and along trails as coyotes use their droppings to mark territory.
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Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
Droppings tend to be 2-3 inches long (like a dog's) and are often filled with remnants of what they have been eating lately. For example, if they are eating corn, you will often find corn remnants in the droppings. The same occurs when they are eating fruit etc.
Caution!! Raccoon feces may contain a dangerous roundworm. To learn more about Raccoon roundworm click diseases. Raccoons also defecate in the same location. These are called toilettes or latrines.
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Bats (Order Chiroptera)
In this image there is a close up of bat droppings with a penny for scale. Note the white speckles in this fresh guano. Those speckles are the remains of undigested insect wings.
Bats often defecate when leaving the building they are living in. Sometimes you can see droppings caught in spider webs too. Bat droppings will tend to be in piles in the attic below where they roost during the day.
WARNING: Don't enter attics without wearing proper protection, which includes but is not limited to, HEPA Filter Mask, rugged gloves, long pants, and good lighting. Make sure masks are properly fitted and that you are healthy enough to breath with a mask.
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These tend to be squarish and cubed, but they can be easily confused with bat droppings.
This photo is courtesy of Michael Colburn and was taken in California.
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Cockroaches (Periplaneta americana)
Note the small black flecks between the penny and the exoskeleton.
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Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
White-tailed deer droppings are found in piles, much like those of llamas and elk.
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Elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni)
Elk droppings occur in piles, the same as done by deer and llamas. Elk droppings are larger than deer droppings. Note the U.S. Nickel in the photo on the left side of the image.
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Mice (Mus musculus)
Tend to be black (hard when dry) pointed on one end and about 1/4-inch in length. Found in scattered patterns in high traffic areas.
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Note how the droppings appear moist. This photo was taken of the area directly below the attic vent the flying squirrels were using to exit and enter the building.
Warning: Never enter an attic without proper protection. Flying Squirrel excrement has been known to contain typhus.
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