Horse poop is typically a shade of green or brown, and the color will vary based on the horse’s diet. The average horse can produce up to 50 pounds of feces each day, and they typically pass manure between six and 10 times a day, according to Horse & Rider magazine, so the piles tend to be larger than you see with other animals common in our area. Horses are not native to Will County, but you do sometimes find piles of horse poop on the trails in the preserves that are used by area riders. Here’s a closer look at some of the scat and feces you may find while exploring in Will County. And it’s never advisable to come in contact with scat from raccoons, because they can transmit disease to humans. While investigating animal scat can be fascinating, you should make sure to take proper precautions before doing so, such as using a stick or wearing gloves. Coyote scat, for example, can contain hair and small bone fragments from the smaller animals they consume. Herons, too, leave large splays from their feces, and they are often found near water, since that is where these birds live.ĭissecting an animal’s scat often leads to visual clues about their diets. It might even look like someone splattered paint in the middle of a forest or stand of trees. Scat from owls and other large birds leaves a large white splatter, or splay. It’s often found in abundance in areas where they eat. Notably, Canada goose poop can range from green to whitish in color. Some birds, though, leave behind recognizable waste material. This acid is a white paste that doesn’t easily dissolve in water, which is why bird poop tends to stay on your car’s windshield even after driving through a rainstorm or a car wash.Īlthough it’s easy to spot bird feces, it can be difficult to distinguish the type of bird it came from. According to the National Audubon Society, the white color occurs because birds do not produce urine and instead rid their bodies of nitrogenous waste in the form of uric acid. Mammal scat is usually spherical or tubular in shape, although the shape and consistency varies greatly among species.īirds, on the other hand, typically produce fluid feces, and it is often whitish in color.īird excrement is often easily identifiable both because of where we typically find it - on surfaces, on the ground, under trees and on our cars - and because of its whitish color. They may be able to determine if an animal is sick, or even if it is pregnant.ĭifferent classifications of animals typically produce different types of scat. Scientists can also examine the chemical composition of scat to learn about an animal’s health. You may find raccoon scat, for example, in clumps at the bottom of a tree, which tells us the animal was spending time in the tree.

Where you find animal scat can also be a clue to its behavior. Right off the bat, the mere presence of animal scat tells us an animal lives in the area, and the abundance of scat indicates the area is home to a high population of the animal.

The droppings wild animals leave behind can tell us a lot about them. The more common types of scat found in the Will County forest preserves come from animals we see most often, including deer, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, coyotes and various types of birds.

Many of us have had the experience of walking along a path or trail and looking down to find we’ve only narrowly avoided stepping in a pile of animal feces, otherwise known as “scat.” And while most of us can easily identify a pile of dog poop, feces from birds and mammals that call our area home is often less easy to recognize.

Animal skat