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.