Faeces- What creature made it???

Bleating Lamb

An animal of some kind has being depositing this faeces at the back door of our house on and off during the night for the last few weeks.I clean it up whenever it is there.It is as if its marking its territory.My wife saw a small animal one evening out the back at dusk and on describing it to me...we looked up the net and reckon it was a Pinemartin.Any ideas,we are in countryside,its not dogs,the distinctive thing about it is the little curl on the end of it.
PS- put watch down beside it to give idea of size of faeces.

bob charles

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

An animal of some kind has being depositing this faeces at the back door of our house on and off during the night for the last few weeks.I clean it up whenever it is there.It is as if its marking its territory.My wife saw a small animal one evening out the back at dusk and on describing it to me...we looked up the net and reckon it was a Pinemartin.Any ideas,we are in countryside,its not dogs,the distinctive thing about it is the little curl on the end of it.
PS- put watch down beside it to give idea of size of faeces.

I know nothing about that sort of s**t,

only joking - strange shape, whats attracting it to your back door?

Bleating Lamb

Nothing I can think of,we are careful with our rubbish,but whatever it is its claimed our back door as a Sxxxxing point:(!!!

Birdnuts

You should post this on the Nature forum - some good "dropping" experts to be found there.;)

Bleating Lamb

Thanks,how do you post it on other forum without having to write it all out again....Im no computer wizard.

Birdnuts

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Thanks,how do you post it on other forum without having to write it all out again....Im no computer wizard.

Just pm the mods here and they'll sort it:)

reilig

Thread moved from Farming and Forestry as suggested.

Reilig

Mod

cuddlycavies

It could be a mink or a maybe a marten. Do you feed a cat there?

mattser

reilig wrote: »

Thread moved from Farming and Forestry as suggested.

Reilig

Mod

To where ?

Nature and Bird Watching.

TopTec

Its fox scat - my dogs roll in it all the time!

TT

Bleating Lamb

I dont think it is fox dung as I ve seen their doo doo

it outside a den on land nearby.

Bleating Lamb

We dont have any pets at all.All rubbish put carefully in bins so dont know why its attracted to house door.

Snowc

Looks off that of a young crow or a maggie .

swifts need our help!

looks like a bird dropping.

Too small for fox and too firm for Pine Marten

Bleating Lamb

Snowc wrote: »

Looks off that of a young crow or a maggie .

Can bird droppings be that large/long?...if you straightened it out it would be around 10 cm long.

Maudi

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Can bird droppings be that large/long?...if you straightened it out it would be around 10 cm long.

hedgehog.

Amalgam

Maudi wrote: »

hedgehog.

Would it not need to be more oily\greasy, to be a Hedgehog?

Looks a bit dry and tidy, for Hedgehog droppings.

swifts need our help!

sory for saying but the angle and height of photo are wrong. Next time take one from low down beside the dropping.

Does it have a distinct smell? Are there bits in it? Is it always the same shape ..

Bleating Lamb

swifts need our help! wrote: »

sory for saying but the angle and height of photo are wrong. Next time take one from low down beside the dropping.

Does it have a distinct smell? Are there bits in it? Is it always the same shape ..

Doesnt have any strong odour,is always same shape,is quite dry but dont think it has bits in it.Next time I will photo again from lower angle.We have kids so I am happy if its a hedgehog but dont like idea of a pinemartin sniffing around the house.

cuddlycavies

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

We have kids so I am happy if its a hedgehog but dont like idea of a pinemartin sniffing around the house.

Why not? Harmless

Bleating Lamb

They cant be that harmless if they kill squirrels and the wife is on red alert to keep back door closed....which is prob an overreaction to be fair:)

Maudi

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

They cant be that harmless if they kill squirrels and the wife is on red alert to keep back door closed....which is prob an overreaction to be fair:)

i encourage the pine martin t.b.h...youl not have any mice or rats around thats for sure..ask your missus which would she prefer?

olly_mac

It's the right shape for pine marten. I was working in an area where we were visited by one quite a lot. Have you disected a dropping yet? You can tell much more by the contents. And also by the smell!

swifts need our help!

The spread of Pine martins may be helped by the spread of Grey squirrels. I'd love one to be sniffing my back door

Bleating Lamb

The mystery animal has returned!....wasnt around for a few days but has returned to 'marking' its ground last week or so ,when I get a chance will take some new pics and post them.

feorais

If you want to get rid of the Pine Martin / other, just neutralise the scent by washing the area and around it with a solution of Jeyes Fluid.These animals are becoming very common even in areas other than their traditional stronghold in the Burren, Co. Clare. They are quite common around Leitrim & Longford etc. They are fearless and deadly to birds as they climb trees and take the young and the eggs from the nests, thus depleting our already dwindling stocks of songbirds etc.

swifts need our help!

take photos with a ruler beside the droppings