Fox and Badger Poo Versus Dog Poo.

[crazyjoe123]

I dont have any photos but im 99% sure its badger poo/ Lots of dung around where I work (small rural animal collection). Very red/purple with large seeds etc. Fairly soft aswell. I assume its badger due to its fairly large size, presence of seeds and the fact that there are blackberries and raspberries galore as opposed to fox dung. Does this sound right for badger dung? The main reaspn Im unsure is they are deposited on pathways and long the side of buildings (I assume these are territory markers)?

[Billabong Karen]

Photos please.

Sounds gross, and the neighbours think you are completely mad and/or perverted, but I had to do it to get an id on the droppings in my garden

This looked like badger poop, but in the end it turned out to be foxes:



Also dont forget that foxes will happily eat blackberries and raspberries.

[dunlin]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

If you rub tomato sauce in, it reduces the smell..yes I agree fox poo stinks.

Thats a new one on me keyleigh. I've heard of putting tomato sauce on hotdogs

[dunlin]

Originally Posted by lynnendaz

i walk my dog twice daily and always pick up after her,one things that really does annoy me is those who scoop there poop and then proceed to throw the bags in bushes or even worse trees,making them look like some foul stinking Christmas tree.its one thing to not pick up after them but to do this is just pointless .

The worse thing they did in my opinion was introduce the poop bags. As you say they look awful strewn all over trees and must take far longer to breakdown.

[dunlin]

Originally Posted by fairplay

Hello, forgive me for raising this disgusting habit, but I feel this is too important to ignore.

A Fox when it poo's, usually does so in/on a prominent position sometimes/always ? to mark it's territory. It quickly dries up or breaks down and is returned to the environment without the yuk factor associated with dog poo.

Badger poo can be a bit more messy, but again it poses very few problems for the public as they dig a hole and use it as a latrine (not always landing in the right spot !)

Dog poo on the other hand poses for more problems - not only do they do it directly on the path or just to the side hidden in the grass, but IT STINKS and is probably more of a health hazzard, especially so as the public are more likely to step in it.

I study fungi, and some of the best places to see fungi are on the side of the path in the longer grass where it is more moist and the soil is less compacted - or, as an an extreme example, I attended a public fungus foray yesterday where the speaker warned us that the first part of the trail through the Nature Reserve is an unofficial dog 'emptying' area.

Annoyingly, some insisted on bringing their dogs and more annoyingly, allowed them off the leads with one particular couple with a lurcher, blatantly allowing it to leave the footpath, go over a ditch into a more discrete part of the wood where deer are likely to be hidden and leave its deposit without making the slightest effort to clean it up - knowing full well it was a fungus foray and some of us are likely to go into that area. (The couple also knew some of us had seen this happen and both were members of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust)

On top of this, the dog had not only left the path, but had now become 'out of sight' and likely to see and chase a deer before the owner knew what is happening.
When I asked the owner "Who's dog is that" ? he replied "Oh don't worry, she won't go far, SHE LIKES TO CHASE THE DEER" : but getting back to topic, why is it that (for me at least) dog poo is more problematic than dog, badger, or indeed any other animals poo ?

Neil.

Your always going to get a small minority of irresponsible dog owners who spoil it for everyone
Dont know why it stinks so much. I remember stepping in some once when out breaking in a new pair of hiking boots ( DEEP TREADS ) the smell makes me heave