The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Wildlife => Topic started by: llamakevin on March 18, 2012, 08:49:47 pm
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Found this in a bank near me - any help identifying culprit would be appreciated!
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fox. pointy poo at one end is fox.
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fox. pointy poo at one end is fox.
Do you think it's the foxes hole though? Looks as if it's pooped outside someone else's hole just to make a point. Or do foxes leave droppings on their own doorstep?
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What size is the hole? And the poo?
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Is there another hole nearby ?
Is there water nearby ?
Is there any damage to the grass in the area (like a very short nosed pig has been rooting at it)?
If the answers to all of those are yes, start to think Badger ;)
If it's only a yes to water nearby, then possibly an otter - but it'll take a bit of watching to spot it as their territorries span up to 10 miles. Agree with everyone else that the poo could just be someone scent marking and not neccessarily the resident of the hole.
HTH
Karen :wave:
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badgers dont poo near their set, they have a communal area that all the badgrs in a certain radius use, once thats full they cover it up and find a new loo!.
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That is fox I promise!
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yep. fox for sure, but i dont think it looks like a permanent dwelling, more like hes tried to dig something out, then left. foxes burys are generally well hidden, and more often than not they dig down under a fallen tree or stump. they dont dig into a bank, too easily found. and that ones way too obvious for a fox. your more likely to literally stumble across a foxhole as your walking thro woods, more often than not coming away with a twisted ankle!!
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What size is the hole? And the poo?
I would say that the poo is about an inch, inch & a half long - the hole is about 8-10 inches in diameter!
thanks
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Thanks all - there are quite a few holes around and plenty of rabbits as well - it's a good call that the fox may have been trying to dig something out, probably the rabbits.
The hole doesn't look used - hunt was around a couple of weeks ago to flush out a fox about half a mile away which was shot - big one allegedly, so it could have been him!
Learned a lot - thanks again!
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Thats a fox poo - but that doesn't look at all like an earth. Normally holes are bigger than that and you find a fair few skeletons about the place, usually better hidden than that one too.
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Yes a fox marking its territory, does it small foxy are there any hair or small bones in it, Not a badger as they use a toilet, Not an otter not soft enough would smell fishy, Not an owl pellet to wet looking, Could be a dog would probable be no hair or small bones. Cant think of anythink else .