Fox Scat?

goosey · #1 (**permalink**) 02-03-2010, 10:53 AM

I found these scats today on the bike lane that runs through the NP.
I wondered if it could be fox? It was quite wet and fresh looking. There looks to be hair in it but had a greenish tinge to it. The main one was 6.5 cm in length.
I did find fox prints in the snow in this area a while back and saw my first fox 17-02-2010 9, see image http://www.wildabouttheworld.com/gallery/data//505/thumbs/2010-02-17_fox_waw.jpg

Another thought that came to mind was buzzard. I found buzzard poo recently also comprising mainly of hair. But do buzzards drop their droppings in flight? I imagined they did it from branches like owls (or is this a misconception on my part?) But wouldn't it have splatted if dropped from a great height on to a hard surface? There were no over hanging branches.

Thanks for your thoughts.

MarkGelbart · #2 (**permalink**) 08-04-2010, 02:21 PM

Break it up with a stick. If it has mouse bones and fur, it's probably fox scat. From the photo it's impossible to determine whether it's dog or fox or cat. It's not bird.

goosey · #3 (**permalink**) 08-04-2010, 02:40 PM

Hi Mark and welcome

.
Thanks for your in put, I can say that it certainly isn't dog as dogs are not allowed into the National Park. I am inclined to go with thinking fox.
I like the tip about using a stick to break it up -I hadn't thought about doing that

.

The Woodman · #4 (**permalink**) 09-04-2010, 06:20 AM

Blimey - I've slipped up by missing this one goosey!

I'm more than happy to go along with Marks suggestion of fox scat.

It looks that fresh that I can almost smell it!

Buzzards do vacate their bowels in flight, often as soon as they leave the ground or branch roost site. The tell tale is the uric acid - the white stuff in a birds dropping. Hair is a difficult substance to digest in a birds gut, it's normally disgorged via a pellet but some must go through the system.