identifying poo!

[shropshire lass]

How do I tell the difference between badger droppings and fox droppings?

Something is leaving it's mark in the garden - usually in the same place - looks like it eats fruit. sometimes we find droppings are on a log or a large stone, size of dropping is larger than domestic cat but a lot smaller than our german shepherd's......

maybe it's neither fox nor badger.....?

[healfdan]

Working on the evidence you have provided.
If you have a badger visiting your garden it's for a reason. Fresh fruit, although there cannot be much available at present, or grassland containing grubs and earthworms. If this is the case is your lawn being badly scraped leaving large furrows (not just a few tiny digs,) as this would point to a badger. On the other hand, the animal may be attracted by food such as leftovers from your dogs dinner. Both foxes and badgers would exploit this.

Badgers produce softer almost liquid droppings which can contain small bones and fruit seeds. They tend to deficate in the same spot (latrine) prefering softer ground in which they fashion a shallow scrape, usually leaving it exposed. If your night visitor is a fox then its droppings would normally contain traces of fur, bone fragments and seeds providng the animal leads a natural existance. Fox droppings are usually firmer and invariably taper to a hairy point which might also be noticed with the Badgers' faeces in the event of it being solid.
You then rely on shape, with the badgers droppings being more sausage shaped than the fox. Just for fun, a tray of wet sand placed in an out of the way spot and containing a few peanuts or a dough ball made with porridge, should lead to a footprint.
Good hunting
Healfdan

[paulthomas]

Deposition of poo in your garden is going to be principally for territorial marking. The placement of the poo instantly suggests fox to me. They love to leave it in raised, prominent places.

As a contrast, here's a photo of a latrine made by a Badger who'd clearly been guzzling berries:



Probably quite different from what you're finding. Whilst badgers do produce firmer poo they tend to use the runny stuff for marking their patch.

[shropshire lass]

From what you describe I think we have both. We definately have badger as there is the tell tale hair on the fence and there is more than one dollop of runny poo in one area. the poo on the stone and log are more elongated , similar to dog, so sounds like fox.

Thanks for your replies

ps - would either of them dig under a fence to come into the garden? I filled the hole with quite heavy turfs but something has 'turfed' them out! but no hair left on the fence?

[paulthomas]

Originally Posted by shropshire lass

ps - would either of them dig under a fence to come into the garden? I filled the hole with quite heavy turfs but something has 'turfed' them out! but no hair left on the fence?

Both will do that. Badgers, especially, are known for their digging and are also likely to turn the turfs over looking for worms. Unless you idea is to keep the badgers and foxes out of the garden (which won't be cheap or easy) it's probably best to not block up the hole. Badgers are creatures of habit and once they've made a way in they'll continue to use it. The foxes will probably use the same hole.

[dollymary]

Hello, I live in the West of Ireland. It is in a very quiet and rural place and there are lot's of hare's and I see lot's of badger poo. I go out early in the morning and if I am very lucky I spot the odd fox. I have come from the Yorkshire Dales ( Malham ) and was inundated with rabbits, oddly there are no rabbit's to be seen here. I have just come across a flat dark green round shaped poo that almost look's like a very small cowpat. Could anyone give me any idea's on what might have left it there ?
Thanks a lot.