Whose dropping?

[stripee]

I found this quite large dropping today not far from a small stream, in a bramble patch. It is about 18cm, so big and has a twist in the middle but not at either end. It also has stiff white hairs in it (bit like a Badger's) but I wondered if it was Stoat hair. I have looked in Collin's Animal Tracks and Signs but it doesn't look like any of droppings depicted. Usually Fox is smaller and more twisty.
Could it be a Fox, and do they eat Stoats?
The photo may be a little unclear, sorry about this

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

It's a little hard to say, strange with so many hairs on it. Did you by chance give it a sniff? Strange question I know, but sometimes the smell can help to narrow the choises. I'll have another look this evening and check some of my books.

BWD

[stripee]

Thanks BWD. If its still there tomorrow I will pick it up to have a better look. I don't think its a bird of prey pellet because its too long.

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Just read your post again, 18cm long thats over half a foot are you sure it's that long. The only thing that comes any where near that long usually is a pine martin but I think there usually more twisted. It might be Mink or a Polecat but they are usually shorter. If its Mink it will reek.
Still no help really, sorry.

BWD

[stripee]

Thank you BWD for trying!! I will look for it tomorrow except it wasn't on the path but I know roughly where. I noticed it because it was particularly large and long. But I did wonder about the stiff white hairs in it, and thought it could be a pellet, but normally they are round. If I can't find it, it will have to remain a mystery dropping

[mh68]

The twisted nature initially made me think of Stoat. May seem a strange question but was it in a place where someone else may have come across it and teased it open? as thats what it looks like...other than that I`d go with BWD`s suggestion of Mink or Polecat.

Mark H

[stripee]

noone would have gone along this side of the stream.it's just brambles..but that's why I thought it could be some kind of bird pellet because of it being loosely woven as it were... I know Stoats live near the stream, Otters have been seen in the past. Badger, Fox, and probably there are some Mink. I have seen Polecats some years back. Common birds would be tawny owl, buzzard, sparrow hawk, heron. Thanks mh68.

[mh68]

The slimy appearance could suggest its has been regurgitated, so it could well be some sort of pellet. I`ll have a ponder over it and check my books and images,and get back to you if i find anything similar.

Mark H

[stripee]

thanks mh68. I found the hindquarters of a Stoat once along this stream, so something has a taste for them. Maybe buzzards.

[naturelover]

i know this might sound daft but could an animal have been sick,has any one ever seen a cat vomit,they walk backwards leaving a trail just like that.

[mh68]

Not daft at all, its a very valid point, and a good observation.

Mark H

[naturelover]

thankyou mark.

[Kayleigh]

It does look like a hairball

[Mr Mag00]

its a large cat hair ball!!

[mh68]

The more I look at the shot the more i`m inclined to agree.

Mark H

[glsammy]

I think Naturelovers got it spot on!

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Originally Posted by naturelover

i know this might sound daft but could an animal have been sick,has any one ever seen a cat vomit,they walk backwards leaving a trail just like that.

I've never seen a cat being sick, thankfully, but you may well be right.
Poo and sick what a great site this is

BWD

[stripee]

Right, I have the dropping, or whatever it is, in a plastic bag

[stripee]

So teasing it apart, there are no bits of bone, or insect cases. Just hair and black stuff. It doesn't smell at all. It looks like a dropping because there should be other bits in it. As Kayleigh and naturelover have suggested though, could it be a hairball, I don't know if any mammals apart from cats bring these up?
Sorry to have such a lovely topic!!

[mh68]

I would put it down to being a furball, Stripee, for sure. It makes sense that any animal with fur, will get furballs in the same way cats do, when cleaning itself,and will get rid of them in the same way, so it could be from a number of species. If you had a microscope and ID guide to animal hairs you could maybe ID the hair/fur to a species, but really thats the only way of doing it as far as I know.

Mark H

[stripee]

Originally Posted by mh68

I would put it down to being a furball, Stripee, for sure. It makes sense that any animal with fur, will get furballs in the same way cats do, when cleaning itself,and will get rid of them in the same way, so it could be from a number of species. If you had a microscope and ID guide to animal hairs you could maybe ID the hair/fur to a species, but really thats the only way of doing it as far as I know.

Mark H

Thank you for help, and it does seem that it is a furball. It has stiff hairs unlike cat though, and was in a place nowhere near houses. But will have a look at the hairs in the daylight and see if they have any other colours on them. Thanks too for everyone else's advice

[Kayleigh]

You could sent it off to a lab for ID..You may have found evidence of the illusive BIG CAT

[stripee]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

You could sent it off to a lab for ID..You may have found evidence of the illusive BIG CAT

Somehow a white beast doesn't seem quite so scary

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Well there's dedication for you, bagging it up and teasing it apart
I'm at a loss now. Maybe there's an opening in the market for fur ball identification books

[epops]

hmmm somthing to do with Badgers?