Who's Poo?

[Ocean1]

Hi all,

I went on a little wander along my local river today and took the following pics of some Poo I found and also some tracks (not together)
Think its possibly mink or otter poo but not sure, i couldnt smell the poo as its was old and a bit crusty so didnt smell of anything. I found it all on the river banks/rocks.

Any ideas











I think the tracks are from Mink but not 100% sure.

Thanks

[AshLee]

I agree, these could well be signs of mink activity.

[Dogghound]

The tracks are mink (slight possibility polecat, hard to distinguish).

Can you give a size for the scats? They dont look like typical mink scats but the photo size is small.

[Tracey.A]

Hi Ocean1, did you measure the prints? If not how big roughly do you think they were?I'm not convinced that they are mink footprints. They keep making me think of rat, but if they were larger then obviously i'm wrong. I'm hoping Vole woman spots this post, because I think she will know.

Tracey

[Ocean1]

Hi,

Thank-you for your replies

Dogghound - the scats where around 5-6cm long and greyish colour found on the river bank and on a tree that had fallen into the river.

Tracey - No sorry i didnt measure the prints I guess they were around 4cm long?! I think probably a bit big to be rats, but am a novice at this so could be wrong.

Sorry the pics arent all that great and stupidly I forgot to measure the items can you tell im new to all this hahaha

Thank you,
x x x x x x

[vole-woman]

I don't think the scat's mink. It looks like fox to me. Mink's thinner and twisted.

Not sure about the prints without a scale, but Dogghound's pretty hot at IDing this sort of thing so he may well be right.

[Dogs]

The bottom ones look like mink scats to me... hard to get the scale but they do look like mink, not fox. The top looks more like a fox or otter, but could be a mink, hard to see if its just a segment of the entire piece or not.
The tracks are mink in my opinion

[daver]

What about badger for the prints? The minky one's I have seen have always been a little more splayed.

[The Woodman]

Mink prints and fox scats.

Your right about the usual characteristic of splayed toes daver but my interpretation of the print photo is of a light impression of the front feet and and a heavier back foot set, possibly of an animal jumping up.

This link will show a minks front pad - I'll upload a hind pad image at the weekend.

American Mink - Neovison vison - Wildlife Photography