Lookup

Animal Scat and Track Identification

Pick the animal you suspect, or start from the group. Each page gives scat size and shape, track size, toe count and gait, the animals it is confused with, and what the CDC says about handling it. Photograph with a coin for scale; the app suggests the animal and these pages confirm it.

Do not handle droppings bare-handed and do not sniff or dry-sweep them; several of the animals here carry parasites or viruses that spread through scat and dust. These pages report what wildlife agencies and the CDC say; they are not medical advice.

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How to narrow it down

Pellets (small, round or oval, in piles) point to deer, rabbits and hares; tubular with tapered ends to canids and cats; ropey with seeds and berries to bears, raccoons and foxes; rice-grain to mice and bats.
Tracks: count toes (2 hooves, 4 toes, 5 toes), look for claw marks (cats retract theirs), and measure the print.
Where it is matters: raccoons use latrines, foxes leave scat on rocks and trail junctions, otters near water.
Never smell or dry-sweep droppings; wet them down first.

Deer, elk and moose

Carnivores: bears, canids, cats and weasels

Rodents and rabbits

Birds, bats and others

Pets for comparison

FAQ

Is it rat or mouse droppings?

Mouse droppings are about the size of a grain of rice with pointed ends; rat droppings are three or four times larger, with blunt (Norway rat) or pointed (roof rat) ends. Open either page for the sourced sizes.

Is it coyote or dog scat?

Coyote scat is ropey, twisted, tapered at one end, and full of hair, bone and berries; dog scat is uniform and smooth because of processed food. Coyotes also leave it in the middle of trails. See the Coyote page.

Can the app identify an animal from its droppings?

It suggests the likely animal from a clear photo with something for scale. Scat varies a lot with diet, so use the shape, size and location notes on each page to confirm.

Sources

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