Expert: Jonathan Wright - 8/21/2006

Question
We live in NJ and found one piece of animal dropping in our garage.  The door was left open overnight once by accident recently and we think an animal got in.  We found one dropping so far, about 3-1/2 inches long, 1/4-1/2 inch in diameter, cylinder shaped, and dark brown in color, something a puppy might leave.  The garbage has been undisturbed so we doubt it is a raccoon.  We have heard it squeek but have not seen it.  Any suggestions on what it might be or how to get rid of it?   Thank you!


Answer
Dear Harriet

Thanks for your question. I have looked up various books and websites to try and determine the animals that may have made the dropping. Much of the information comes from Bob Pickett (http://www.bobpickett.org/order_carnivora.htm), who gives details of various carnivores. I have also used ‘The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals’ by John O. Whitaker, Jr and ‘Mammals of North America’ by Roland W. Kays and Don E. Wilson. The latter book has drawings of droppings on pages 230-233. The size and shape of the dropping indicate it was made by a carnivore, although the dark colour may be due to eating a lot of berries. Please note I am not an expert in this subject and can only try and work out the culprit using distribution maps, as well as descriptions of animal droppings.
Dog Family: Coyote and fox droppings are very similar. They have tapered ends and contain lots of hair. Coyote droppings are a little larger. They are 2-5" long and 3/4-1” diameter and are often deposited on rocks or other prominent spots or on a long, meandering, habitually used hunting trail. While the length is about right, I think that the dropping you saw is too narrow to be from a coyote. The droppings of a red fox are 2-4" long and ½" –5/8” in diameter, but in summer they are often shorter and not tapered. They are often left standing on end. The dropping could have been left by a red fox, but the squeaking sound doesn’t seem to correspond with a fox call. The droppings of a grey fox are 2.5 inches long by ½ inch. They are small, narrow, roughly cylindrical and are sharply tapered at one or both ends. They are usually unsegmented and may be darker than the droppings of a red fox, because the grey fox eats more berries. I think the dropping you saw was a bit longer than this.
Bears: Bear droppings are large and even if they break into segments, these are 1.25-1.5 inches in diameter, too large for the dropping in question.
Raccoon droppings are segmented and can be 2-6 inches long and ¾" diameter. They tend to be long and cylindrical, but are often broken into smaller segments. They are granular and crumbly and flat-ended and left at prominent locations, often in accumulations, often by one or different raccoons. I think the dropping you saw is too narrow to be a raccoon dropping.
Weasels: Weasels and their relatives often make squeaking sounds, so I think that the culprit probably belonged to the weasel family. Droppings of an American marten are long and thin. They look twisted and folded and are tapered on both ends. They are 1 to 2" long, although Rue says they are 3-5" long. They are 1/8-3/8" diameter and often contain fruit. The droppings are often deposited upon prominent logs or rocks, often lying in a semicircle. The American marten seems to live to the north of new Jersey. Fisher droppings often contain porcupine quills. They are larger than marten droppings and are 5/8" in diameter, 4-6" long, dark and cylindrical and are often segmented and may show fur, bone, berries or nuts. I think that the fisher is a possibility, although its range may be a little to the north of New Jersey and you do not mention any segmentation to the dropping. Ermine droppings are long, thin and tapered on both ends. They are 1-2" long and 1/8 to ¼" diameter, too small to match the dropping you saw. Long-tailed weasel droppings are dark brown or black and are long, thin, twisted and tapered at one or both ends. They are often segmented and show hair or bits of bone. They are often deposited on rocks, logs or stumps. They are 1-2" long and 1/8-¼" diameter, too small for the droppings you saw. Least weasel droppings are long, thin, twisted and tapered on both ends, but the least weasel seems to live to the west of New Jersey. American mink droppings are dark brown or black and are long, thin, twisted and tapered on both ends. They are 1-2" long and 1/8-¼" diameter or may be roughly cylindrical and sometimes segmented scats, 5-6 inches long, deposited in piles near the den site. They often contain bits of fur or bone and are deposited on beaver lodges, rocks, logs and around the den. The American mink is a possibility, but the usual habitat is around freshwater, so it is probably not the culprit. Northern river otter droppings consist of fish scales and usually placed in commonly used "scent mounds" along a watercourse. They are usually in 2 or 3 segments, about 3/4" in diameter. The large diameter and location means that the otter is not the culprit. Striped skunk droppings are 1.5- 5" long and 1/2-3/4" wide with rounded or flat ends. They are usually very dark and cylindrical and are composed of mostly insect parts.
Cats: Cat droppings tend to be segmented. Bobcat droppings resemble those of foxes, dogs and coyotes, but are more segmented, or may form pellets. They are 0.75” in diameter, too wide for the droppings under consideration.
I’m sorry I cannot give a definitive answer as to the culprit, although I think it is a member of the weasel family, due to the size and shape of the droppings and the squeaking sound you describe. The problem seems to be the habitat or location. Possibilities include the American marten and the striped skunk, although the skunk doesn’t seem to make a squeaking sound.

I think it would be best for you to take a photograph of the dropping to an environmental health or pest control office for a formal identification and then ask for advice about how to control the culprit. If the culprit is a skunk, you can find information about control at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74118.html

I hope this helps.

All the best

Jonathan