Animal Poo? Identification
Hi all
Anyone suggest the likely culprit for: Animal poo approx 10mm diameter - 3 pcs - 1 @ 25mm long and 2 @ 10mm long - in cluster on lawn. Similar to cat but - no smell, dry and like charcoal in appearance. Close examination showed what looked like lots of "beetle-shell-bits" embedded, which created the charcoal appearance. TIA Phil |
Animal Poo? Identification
"TheScullster" wrote in message . uk... Hi all Anyone suggest the likely culprit for: Animal poo approx 10mm diameter - 3 pcs - 1 @ 25mm long and 2 @ 10mm long - in cluster on lawn. Similar to cat but - no smell, dry and like charcoal in appearance. Close examination showed what looked like lots of "beetle-shell-bits" embedded, which created the charcoal appearance. I might have said fox until you mentioned there was no smell. It seems too big for a hedgehog, could it possibly be pellets from a bird of prey? Just a thought. Tina |
Animal Poo? Identification
"Christina Websell" wrote "TheScullster" wrote in message . uk... Hi all Anyone suggest the likely culprit for: Animal poo approx 10mm diameter - 3 pcs - 1 @ 25mm long and 2 @ 10mm long - in cluster on lawn. Similar to cat but - no smell, dry and like charcoal in appearance. Close examination showed what looked like lots of "beetle-shell-bits" embedded, which created the charcoal appearance. I might have said fox until you mentioned there was no smell. It seems too big for a hedgehog, could it possibly be pellets from a bird of prey? Just a thought. Tina Thanks Tina Don't know much about birds of prey but it's possible. We live at the top of a hill v. close to the edge of a housing estate. There are a lot of sparrow hawk-type-things which hang around on the lamp posts of major roads nearby. There are one or two owls around although I have'nt actually seen either in our copper beech (near which the poo? was found). Are bird pellets usually round or can they be sausage shaped? Hedgehogs were suggested by a neighbour - again I haven't seen them and also haven't suffered from vegetable damage (if they eat them). The least likely I think would be a fox; although they are occasionally spotted, our garden has a perimeter fence and I don't think there are any breaches big enough. Phil |
Animal Poo? Identification
Depending on diameter (not mentioned) I'd say hedgehog or fox. Both
eat beetles. Walking at a local nature reserve last autumn there were numerous black poos beside the path at regular intervals. The reason they were black, and incidentally, full of little seeds, is that foxes are very partial to blackberries! And certainly there were none on the bushes any lower than fox-height. Birds of prey poo like normal birds - think seagull/pigeon - but do regurgitate pellets of indigestible matter, usually fur & bones. These aren't like poo, but very dry, pale grey and mainly made up of fur. If you poke them with a stick you'll find they are just dried-up fur with a few bones and insect carapaces. |
Animal Poo? Identification
"EastneyEnder" wrote in message
... Depending on diameter (not mentioned) ""Animal poo approx 10mm diameter "" do keep up ;-) -- Mike The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association www.rneba.org.uk Luxury Self Catering on the Isle of Wight? www.shanklinmanormews.co.uk |
Animal Poo? Identification
Christina Websell writes
"TheScullster" wrote in message .uk... Hi all Anyone suggest the likely culprit for: Animal poo approx 10mm diameter - 3 pcs - 1 @ 25mm long and 2 @ 10mm long - in cluster on lawn. Similar to cat but - no smell, dry and like charcoal in appearance. Close examination showed what looked like lots of "beetle-shell-bits" embedded, which created the charcoal appearance. I might have said fox until you mentioned there was no smell. It seems too big for a hedgehog, could it possibly be pellets from a bird of prey? Just a thought. The Collins Guide to Animal Tracks and Signs has a splendid double page illustration of animal poo, all natural size. The hedgehog is about 50mm long and 10mm diameter, so a pretty good match. -- Kay |
Animal Poo? Identification
"TheScullster" wrote in message . uk... "Christina Websell" wrote "TheScullster" wrote in message . uk... Hi all Anyone suggest the likely culprit for: Animal poo approx 10mm diameter - 3 pcs - 1 @ 25mm long and 2 @ 10mm long - in cluster on lawn. Similar to cat but - no smell, dry and like charcoal in appearance. Close examination showed what looked like lots of "beetle-shell-bits" embedded, which created the charcoal appearance. I might have said fox until you mentioned there was no smell. It seems too big for a hedgehog, could it possibly be pellets from a bird of prey? Just a thought. Tina Thanks Tina Don't know much about birds of prey but it's possible. We live at the top of a hill v. close to the edge of a housing estate. There are a lot of sparrow hawk-type-things which hang around on the lamp posts of major roads nearby. There are one or two owls around although I have'nt actually seen either in our copper beech (near which the poo? was found). Are bird pellets usually round or can they be sausage shaped? They are sausage shaped. Hedgehogs were suggested by a neighbour - again I haven't seen them and also haven't suffered from vegetable damage (if they eat them). No, hedgehogs don't eat vegetables. They are mainly carnivores, they like slugs n snails and such sort of stuff. The least likely I think would be a fox; although they are occasionally spotted, our garden has a perimeter fence and I don't think there are any breaches big enough. Fox poo smells quite pungent and usually has a pointed "tail" on it. It could a very big hedgehog with a large, erm, b*mh*le, as they often have beetle wings in their dung. So do birds of prey in their pellets though. You'll have to decide for yourself what is most likely. If you have a tree branch overhanging where it was found it's probably pellets. Your eco-system is very healthy if you have birds of prey. Tina |
Animal Poo? Identification
On Jul 16, 1:49*pm, "TheScullster" wrote:
Hi all Anyone suggest the likely culprit for: Animal poo approx 10mm diameter - 3 pcs - 1 @ 25mm long and 2 @ 10mm long - in cluster on lawn. Similar to cat but - no smell, dry and like charcoal in appearance. Close examination showed what looked like lots of "beetle-shell-bits" embedded, which created the charcoal appearance. TIA Phil In Norfolk we had this a lot, I asked some experts at J.I. just down the road, they said hedgehog. Judith |
Animal Poo? Identification
Christina Websell wrote:
Fox poo smells quite pungent and usually has a pointed "tail" on it. Cannot resist... a bit of [toilet] humour: 'Why are turds pointed at one end? - So your bum doesn't slam shut.' Sorry. |
Animal Poo? Identification
EastneyEnder wrote:
Christina Websell wrote: Fox poo smells quite pungent and usually has a pointed "tail" on it. Cannot resist... a bit of [toilet] humour: 'Why are turds pointed at one end? - So your bum doesn't slam shut.' Sue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lolol |
Animal Poo? Identification
On 16 July, 18:33, Judith in France
wrote: On Jul 16, 1:49*pm, "TheScullster" wrote: Anyone suggest the likely culprit for: ...... In Norfolk we had this a lot, I asked some experts at J.I. just down the road, they said hedgehog. Yep, that was going to be my suggestion. It sounds /exactly/ like hedgehog. |
Animal Poo? Identification
"TheScullster" wrote in message . uk... Hi all Anyone suggest the likely culprit for: Animal poo approx 10mm diameter - 3 pcs - 1 @ 25mm long and 2 @ 10mm long - in cluster on lawn. Similar to cat but - no smell, dry and like charcoal in appearance. Close examination showed what looked like lots of "beetle-shell-bits" embedded, which created the charcoal appearance. Definitely hedgehog. I had them on my lawn recently and traced the bits around the garden only to find a large hedgehog had fallen into a sort of gully at the back of my garden and had to be helped out. (the gully is 2 feet wide x 20 feet long x 3 feet deep). If they were all clustered in one place under a turret or gargoyle I would have said owl. someone |
Animal Poo? Identification
someone wrote:
If they were all clustered in one place under a turret or gargoyle I would have said owl. Or a barn? The last bird of prey pellet I found was out in the open. Some regurge when roosting: others don't. Hey, if they all relied on turrets or gargoyles they'd be extinct by now :( |
Animal Poo? Identification
"TheScullster" wrote Hi all Anyone suggest the likely culprit for: Animal poo approx 10mm diameter - 3 pcs - 1 @ 25mm long and 2 @ 10mm long - in cluster on lawn. Similar to cat but - no smell, dry and like charcoal in appearance. Close examination showed what looked like lots of "beetle-shell-bits" embedded, which created the charcoal appearance. TIA Phil Thanks to all for comments. I'm inclined to think the consensus hedgehog is likely. Will they tolerate a cat-ridden neighbourhood though? If so, where am I most likely to catch sight of him/her? - Under the shed? Back of the borders? Our garden isn't huge (about 17m x 10m) but is a bit "natural" in parts! Phil |
Animal Poo? Identification
TheScullster writes
Thanks to all for comments. I'm inclined to think the consensus hedgehog is likely. Will they tolerate a cat-ridden neighbourhood though? Yes. Cats tend to treat them with caution. If so, where am I most likely to catch sight of him/her? - Under the shed? Back of the borders? Our garden isn't huge (about 17m x 10m) but is a bit "natural" in parts! They're active at night, but they don't have a settled routine. So it's a matter of luck when and where you see them. If you want to try feeding him, a special tin of hedgehog food from the pet shop, or cat meat (meat not fish based). Make a sort of box or tunnel with the entrance too small for a cat and put the meat inside that. For added fun, cover a piece of card with aluminium foil and gold it in the smoke of a candle flame until it's completely covered with soot. Put this under the meat, and n the morning you will see the tracks of anything that's visited in the night. -- Kay |
Animal Poo? Identification
"TheScullster" wrote Thanks to all for comments. I'm inclined to think the consensus hedgehog is likely. Will they tolerate a cat-ridden neighbourhood though? If so, where am I most likely to catch sight of him/her? - Under the shed? Back of the borders? Our garden isn't huge (about 17m x 10m) but is a bit "natural" in parts! They can roam around quite a large area and may be visiting several gardens in the vicinity at night. If your garden has a wilder area I'm sure any self-respecting local hedgehog would gladly add it to its nightly itinerary. You'd probably be most likely to catch sight of one (or maybe hear it first) if you go out after dark when they go grunting and snuffling around in search of a meal. As for cats, I should think they'd soon learn to keep well away from the spines of a hedgehog, but possibly the young hoglets might be more at risk. -- Sue |
Animal Poo? Identification
hedgehog, we don't have as many this year :-(
kate "EastneyEnder" wrote in message ... someone wrote: If they were all clustered in one place under a turret or gargoyle I would have said owl. Or a barn? The last bird of prey pellet I found was out in the open. Some regurge when roosting: others don't. Hey, if they all relied on turrets or gargoyles they'd be extinct by now :( |
Animal Poo? Identification
In article ,
says... Hi all Anyone suggest the likely culprit for: Animal poo approx 10mm diameter - 3 pcs - 1 @ 25mm long and 2 @ 10mm long - in cluster on lawn. Similar to cat but - no smell, dry and like charcoal in appearance. Close examination showed what looked like lots of "beetle-shell-bits" embedded, which created the charcoal appearance. TIA Phil Toad -- Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and Lapageria rosea |
Animal Poo? Identification
On 17 July, 01:41, EastneyEnder wrote:
Hey, if they all relied on turrets or gargoyles they'd be extinct by now :( I think gargoyles are. I've only ever seen a fossilised one. |
Animal Poo? Identification
bobharvey wrote:
Hey, if they all relied on turrets or gargoyles they'd be extinct by now :( I think gargoyles are. I've only ever seen a fossilised one. LOLOL! excellent. I think the only place that gargoyles still exist in the wild is Ankh Morpork. |
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