Can you help me identify these animal droppings?
Question:
I was wondering if you could please help me identify animal droppings? We have found these consistently in our backyard over the last week or two. We have a tall fence enclosing the entire yard so I don’t think it is a dog. There are raccoons and skunk in the area but consulting the web, these droppings appear too big to be those animals. The droppings are often in the same spot on the side of our house next to our deck. We have also found them in other areas of the yard including in the flower garden in our front yard. Thank you for your help in identifying. If you are unable to assist, please let me know what resource I can consult.
Answer:
Brian Erickson, Sustainable Agriculture Professional/Professional I
The picture help. However, I can’t zoom in really close to examine the contents. The contents do seem to be fairly uniform, therefore I would suspect that it is from a kibble/can-fed animal. Where your backyard is fenced in I would suggest that it is most likely scat from a raccoon. Specifically, if it is becoming a pattern because raccoons tend to use centralized “latrines” near their dens. They also tend to find sources of domestic animal food. If you are able to notice any fruit, hair, and/or bone byproduct in the other scat that would support the raccoon theory. Here is a resource for prevention and control of raccoons that you might find helpful, Raccoons (PDF).