Wildlife scat is also know as animal feces and is one good way to identify wildlife in an area.
Black Bear
Bear droppings can be huge. They can also exhibit a wide variety of colors depending on what the bear is eating.
Whitetail Deer
Deer scat is like a pile of raisins. Each pellet is relatively uniform in size and shape. They are round/oval shaped, smooth, and dark brownish/black. When they are fresh they are glossy. As they age they become dull and start to disintegrate. Occasionally they clump together into fist sized globs.
Turkey
Wild turkey scat is small, cylindrical, and blunt on the ends. It can be composed of vegetable matter, insect parts, etc.
Skunk
Skunk scat is often irregular shaped such as seen here. It will contain evidence of grubs and other insects and thus will fragment easily. The ends are usually blunt and it will be about 5/8" in diameter. Look for piles of it near the skunk's nesting sites.
Muskrat
Scat can be found on prominent outcroppings in or near the water, on logs, rocks and beaver structures. Their droppings are elongated 3/8 to 5/8 inches long and 1/4 inch in diameter, clustered together in a pile.
Opossum
Opossum scat is approximately 5/8" in diameter and will frequently show a squeezed-off end. There is great variability in appearance of these droppings due to the highly diversified diet of this species.
Squirrel
Droppings of ground squirrels may be found around their dens and in their runways. Their tubular scat is variable in shape, color and length but the width will be about 3/16".
Fox
Scat is approximately 2 inches long & 1/2 inch in diameter with pointy ends. It may contain hair, bones, insects, berry seeds & undigested fruits. Fox will usually deposit their scat on a prominent object such as a rock, stump or log to mark their territory
Raccoon
Scat is traditionally about 1/2" in diameter and often cigar shaped with blunt ends but that will vary depending on the food consumed. Feeding on crayfish, their favorite food, will cause the scat to be reddish in color. It is rare to ever observe any hair within their scat.
Groundhog
Scat is found in underground "toilets" as they dig deep underground.
Fisher
Scat resembles that of a Mink but has a larger diameter. Scat is brown to black in color & are twisted with tapered ends 3/8 to 5/8 of an inch in diameter & folding over. Fishers are the main predators of Porcupines so evidence of quills in their scat will help in identification.
Bobcat
Scat are very similar and hard to distinguish between the two. Scat is up to 4 inches long and 3/4 of an inch in diameter, segmented with blunt ends. Evidence of scratched leaf litter and soil with scat in the scratched out area will indicate cat droppings. Scat may or may not be covered over with leaves or soil.
Mink
Scat is long and twisted resembling a braided rope, black to light in color with tapered ends and may fold over itself. Evidence of small bones, fur, feathers and fish may be present. Mink leave droppings as signposts on or near rocks, logs and stumps.