Skunk and Raccoon Poop: Identification (2024)

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Skunk vs Raccoon Poop

Often, homeowners discover pest damage well after animals are gone. This is especially true with skunks and raccoons, which are both nocturnal. Thankfully, concerned individuals can use pest droppings to help identify infestations in and around homes.

Skunk Poop

Skunk droppings look similar to those of a cat and are typically found in lawns and gardens. The waste is tubular, has blunt ends, and usually measures about a quarter to half an inch in diameter and one to two inches long. Skunk poop generally contains bits of undigested insects, berry seeds, fur, or feathers.

Skunk and Raccoon Poop: Identification (1)

Raccoon Poop

Raccoon droppings are also blunt-ended and tubular but are typically a bit larger than skunk poop. On average, raccoon poop is about two to three inches in length and half an inch in diameter. Additionally, their scat is darker in color.
Skunk and Raccoon Poop: Identification (2)

Skunk and Raccoon Poop: Identification (3)

Raccoon defecate in shared locations, known as latrines. Common sites include tree stumps, woodpiles, large rocks, decks, and patios. During a raccoon infestation, you will find latrine sites in your attic, on the roof, or in agarage.

Raccoon Feces Hazards

Raccoon feces may contain roundworm eggs, which are extremely harmful to humans and pets. Young children are most susceptible to contracting roundworm because they may come in contact with excrement while playing and have the tendency to put unclean hands near or in their mouths. Symptoms include blindness, paralysis, and damage to livers and lungs. Raccoon roundworm can even cause death.

Though it's less common, skunks can also spread roundworm through their feces. However, they are more likely to transmit listeriosis and leptospirosis to humans. Pets may pick up canine hepatitis, canine distemper, and feline Panleukopenia from skunk feces.

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Quicklinks

  • Skunk Removal
  • What Attracts Skunks?
  • Skunk Diseases and Property Damage
  • How to Identify a Skunk
  • What Does a Skunk Sound Like?

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Skunk and Raccoon Poop: Identification (2024)

FAQs

How do you identify raccoon poop? ›

Raccoon feces are usually about two to three inches long, dark and tubular in shape. An easy way to tell dog feces from raccoon poop is to look for undigested food. Raccoon feces often contains pieces of undigested berries that can be easily seen.

How do you identify skunk poop? ›

Skunk droppings look similar to those of a cat and are typically found in lawns and gardens. The waste is tubular, has blunt ends, and usually measures about a quarter to half an inch in diameter and one to two inches long. Skunk poop generally contains bits of undigested insects, berry seeds, fur, or feathers.

How do you tell the difference between raccoon droppings and possum droppings? ›

Color: Raccoon droppings are dark in color, while possum droppings tend to be lighter in color.

Do raccoons poop in the same spot over and over? ›

Raccoons usually choose certain locations to defecate (poop) and then use those same places repeatedly. Raccoons can also be attracted to areas where humans live and play. In pools, raccoons usually defecate in the shallow areas (for example, on the steps).

What does raccoon and skunk poop look like? ›

Raccoon poop is approximately the same size as raccoon poop, but what distinguishes it from raccoon poop is that skunk poop is lighter in color. Raccoon poop is usually darker and has blunter edges than skunk poop. Raccoon poop may have some bits and pieces of berries, seeds, and other undigested foods.

What does raccoon and possum poop look like? ›

Possum droppings are similar in shape but tend to be smaller and have pointed ends. Squirrel droppings are smaller and more cylindrical, while rat droppings are smaller, less cylindrical and have pointed ends. Color: Raccoon droppings are dark in color, while possum droppings tend to be lighter in color.

How big is a raccoon poop? ›

Raccoon (Procyon lotor): Droppings are 2 to 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. You often can identify what a raccoon recently has been eating. Corn kernels or fruit may be visible, for example. Droppings frequently are found in piles, called latrines, on roofs, in attics, in sandboxes, or open areas.

What does a possum poop look like? ›

Cylindrical: Opossum droppings are elongated and cylindrical in shape. They resemble small, tubular pellets, similar to the droppings of other mammals. Tapered Ends: Opossum droppings often have slightly tapered or pointed ends.

How to tell the difference between raccoon poop and bear poop? ›

“Our bear expert said it looks like raccoon scat,” said Dwayne Gardner, spokesperson. “Bear scat is usually in a very large pile, or formed, but regardless, much larger than this.” Gardner said that if residents do suspect bears in their neighborhood there are things to keep in mind.

What is the app that identifies animal poop? ›

The Mammal Mapper app is very easy to use and includes detailed guides to help you identify the mammal and/or field signs, such as footprints and droppings, that you have seen.

What to do if you find raccoon poop in your yard? ›

Feces and material contaminated with raccoon feces should • be removed (using a shovel or inverted plastic bag) and burned, buried, or bagged and placed in the trash to be sent to a landfill. Most chemicals do not kill roundworm eggs, but heat will kill • the eggs instantly.

What does a pile of raccoon poop look like? ›

What Does Raccoon Scat Look Like? Raccoon droppings are cylindrical in shape, have rounded or broken ends, and are typically dark in color, though coloration varies depending on what the animal has recently eaten. Raccoon scat is likely to contain berries, as they are a favorite food source.

Do raccoons poop close to where they sleep? ›

Raccoons are actually very clean animals, and will go to the bathroom in the same spot, away from where they eat and sleep. This spot is known as a “Latrine Site”. Luckily a raccoon's commitment to a latrine site isn't very strong, so it's usually pretty easy to get them to choose a different one.

What do raccoons hate to walk on? ›

You could try spreading some netting on the area: raccoons hate getting their feer tangled. They also hate walking on things that feel unbalanced, so if you put plastic or a thin sheet of metal or something on a fulcrum so it seesaws they won't like it.

What do I do if I touched raccoon poop? ›

If you or your children have touched soil where raccoons have been, clean your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap. It is also important to monitor yourself for symptoms of illness in the future.

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