What Does Foxes Poop Look Like | Why Scat is Used to Track Animals


what-does-fox-scat-look-like

The type of scat or poop that is left behind by animals, can tell a lot about the territory where it is found. Some of us want to know, what does foxes poop look like?

Fox Poop

Foxes poop is about 2 inches long (1/2 inch in diameter) and may contain hair, bones, insects and undigested seeds from fruits and berries. Fox poop is twisted on the ends.

what-does-fox-poop-look-like
What does foxes poop look like? Fox poop looks like this.

Tracking animals is an age-old method that uses animal droppings also known as scat or poop to identify what animals are nearby.

https://youtu.be/Sz4Q16dmDQA
Tracking animals with scat.

Fox Poop and Analyzing

Fox droppings can differ depending on the type of fox it is, and the diet that the creature has.

Whether you’re just a curious person or a seasoned tracker, you have probably walked by some animal droppings and thought, I wonder what did that. I know I have!

You can tell what animals are in your area as well as their overall health by analyzing the scat. Scientists can tell what chemical compounds are in animal droppings, which helps to diagnose health problems the animal could be having.

First, what are some terms for fox poop?

  • Poop (obviously)
  • Scat
  • Droppings
  • Feces
  • Latrine

These are all words and terms used when discussing animal poop. The main term we will use from this point on is scat, droppings, and poop.

The fox will often leave its droppings on objects such as rocks, stumps or tree logs. They do this to mark the spot, foxes are very territorial and marking their territory is common.

fox-smelling-ground-grass-leaves
Fox sniffing.

Does Fox poo look like dog poop?

In urban areas fox poo looks like dog poop. This is mainly because of their diet where they tend to eat lots of meat, bread, bird seed etc. In rural areas where their diet is natural (birds and small mammals) fox poo is usually twisted at one end. The best way to distinguish fox poo is by it’s characteristic ‘foxy’ smell.

Do foxes bury their faeces?

Foxes do no bury their faeces. Unlike cats, dry spots or sand pits with loose underground are favoured by foxes.

What shape is fox poo?

Fox poo is shaped the same as dog poo. However, it’s usually pointy at one end and full of feathers, fur, seeds, berries, and small bones (diet depending).

Does Fox poo smell bad?

Yes fox poo smells really bad! Usually you wouldn’t step in fox poo, however dogs LOVE rolling in it – and it’s one of the worse smells they can bring home. Also it’s really hard to remove the smell too.

What gets rid of the smell of fox poo?

The easiest way to get rid of fox poo smell is to use a fox odour eliminator. It neutralises the smell, removes any stains and also has a strong antibacterial agent to remove any bacteria. It’s super easy to use – simply spray it on a damp cloth and wipe.

Is Fox poo toxic?

Fox poo can be toxic. Roundworm parasites are commonly found in fox poo, which can lead to a rare infection called Toxocariasis. This can be transmitted to humans handling soil or sand contaminated with infected fox faeces.

Why Scat is Used to Identify Animals

Many animals in the wild, such as the fox, are solitary creatures. In most cases, they are rarely seen by humans if they are in the wilderness.

Urban foxes are a different story altogether and have very different behavioral patterns compared to their wild only counterparts.

Foxes are nocturnal and hunt at night, so many times you will only see what they leave behind, scat, carcasses and maybe some broken twigs.

To become familiar with what kind of droppings come from foxes you must also have an idea of what scat looks like from other animals that share their territory.

Foxes will often share territory with animals such as:

  • Rabbits
  • Coyotes
  • Bears
  • Deer
  • Mountain Lions

How do you identify scat? To identify the scat of an animal people will often hold the scat in their hands and move it apart to see what it consists of.

Rabbit

rabbit-poop
Rabbit poop

A rabbit’s scat looks a little different than a fox. They are individual small (round) droplets instead of the longer thicker droppings left by foxes. They will usually drop one piece at a time while they move around, scattering them. If a pile of them are found it may signify a feeding ground. Rabbit scat is dark, to light brown in color and is ¼ to 3/8 inches in diameter.

Coyotes

coyote-scat
Coyote poop.

The coyote is a little larger than a fox and eats more. Coyote scat vs fox scat: their scat can be up to four inches long and may show signs of animal hair, bones, and seeds from vegetables and fruit. They have a diet similar to a fox, but coyote scat is larger.

Bears

Black_bear_scat
Bear poop.

In areas that have bears, you will often come across bear droppings. They are the largest in diameter (1-2 inches in diameter). In summer and fall bears feed primarily on berries. You will often see a large pile of scat from a bear and it can appear loose in the season where berries are consumed. They will often have large undigested pieces of bones, fur, nuts, and some berries.

Deer

deer-poop
Deer Poop.

The scat of a deer is very similar to rabbits. They leave small round droppings, spreading them out as they move, or in piles. Their droppings are black and around ½ inch in diameter, they can also be a lighter brown color in the winter. Their scat can be clumped together in the summer and fall months when they eat berries.

Mountain Lions

mountain-lion-scat
Mountain lion poop.

The mountain lion’s dropping can be up to 5 inches long and 1 and ¼ inch in diameter! You will often see hair and bones in their scat. You can see scratching in the soil as well as dirt over the scat in some cases since they are in the cat family.

A lot of people ask, “does fox poop look like dog poop” and the answer is not usually. Fox’s have the diet of a wild animal, they eat the whole animal, hair, and sometimes small bones. They also eat fruits and vegetation that most domestic dogs do not eat.

fox-walking-in-snow-tracking
What does foxes poop look like? Squatting fox.

A Closer Look at Fox Scat and the Fox’s Diet

Now that you know a little more about the scat of animals that share some of the territories with a fox, let’s take a closer look at fox droppings and the fox’s diet.

Fox’s Diet

Foxes are omnivores, which means they eat meat, vegetables, and fruit. This gives their droppings a wide variety of counterparts.

Like other animals’ foxes eat berries and veggies more so in the summer and fall months when those types of vegetation grow.

The fox only makes one two kills per week when it comes to the small game they prey on so they must scavenge for things like berries and vegetation to keep from starving.

What does fox scat look like? Fox poop can vary by the type of fox, their location as well as the diet that the animal consumes. It is usually 2 inches long by 1/2 inch diameter.

The Average Fox’s Scat

A red fox’s scat looks a little different than a fennec fox’s. So first let’s discuss the larger species of foxes such as red foxes and gray foxes.

The average fox (red fox) has scat that is up to two inches long and ½ inch in diameter.

You will often find a lot of hair in their droppings as well as some bones and other material.

Fox poop is long and skinny with pointy ends, as opposed to other animals that have thick long pieces or small round pieces. This can help decipher if it is, in fact, fox’s poop.

Sometimes fox droppings can contain hair, bones, insects, berries, and seeds. As mentioned before foxes drop their scat on objects, such as rocks and pieces of wood.

They do this to mark their territory. Fox’s do all kinds of things to signal to other animals and other foxes that they own that area.

Fox’s digest their food in a unique way where the hair of the animal they eat wraps around the bone pieces with feces in a twisting motion.

This makes it so the bones will not puncture the fox’s inner stomach and make it safe when it passes as a stool.

For this reason their scat will look twisted/pointed on the ends.

Fennec Foxes and Smaller Breed’s Scat

The fennec fox is much smaller in size than an average fox. A fennec fox weighs around 2-3 pounds, for this reason, fennec fox poop (scat) is much smaller in size and is similar to rabbit droppings.

Fennec fox poop.

They will also have more insects in their poop since they live in the desert and eat mostly insects and rodents.

Other smaller breeds such as Indian foxes have a smaller size dropping, similar to animals such as skunks and raccoons, but still containing animal hair and seeds from vegetation.

People also sometimes ask, “why is fox poo white?” and the answer is that foxes eat the fur of the animal they kill. The small game that they prey on will often have white/light-colored fur or feathers.

fox-sitting-in-grass

Why Is Animal Tracking Important?

There are many reasons to want to track an animal. Hunters and trappers rely on their tracking skills to identify if a certain type of animal is in their territory.

You can also tell how many foxes populate an area by how much fox scat is found.

Some people track just for a hobby and naturalists often implore the help of trackers and tracking knowledge.

Knowing what kind of animals are in an area can be vital to someone’s survival if they rely on hunting as a food source.

What is used to track wild animals? Tracking uses the practice of identifying tracks, signs, and trails, in the tracking world these are known as “spoor.” One of the signs that a certain type of animal is in the vicinity is the droppings or scat of the animals.

People use a few types of methods for tracking animals. They take into account the ecology and environment in which the animal lives.

Other spoors are broken limbs, worn trails, feathers, kills (carcasses) and scratching depending on the type of animal.

fox-in-snow-woods-tracking
What does foxes poop look like? Tracking foxes.

How To Track a Fox

When tracking a fox, you will first start by identifying the scat of the animal and footprints. Once you know what you are dealing with you can follow other spoors/signs.

Look for scat that is on objects, such as rocks and wood. They mark their territories with fox droppings.

Fox pooping on an object.

Foxes have multiple dens, that are dug into the ground. To find their dens (den reconnaissance) you must first look for other spoors and signs.

Foxes leave footprints that are round in shape. This can be one of the best ways to recognize if a fox is in the area.

They have four toes and use their toe pads to push down into the dirt.

Grey foxes have smaller feet but larger toe pads than red foxes, which can allow you to identify the difference.

Foxes will bury their leftover kills, so another sign to look for is scratches in the ground and small mounds of buried carcasses.

The next sign is scent marking and chemical communication, foxes mark spots with urine. Sometimes to identify where a kill is buried/hidden or to warn other foxes about predators.

Fox families will often use the same areas to leave their droppings (feces) and this area is known as a latrine.

These are just a few methods for tracking foxes and the answer to what does foxes poop look like. It always helps to do as much research as possible on the methods of tracking animals.

Some (What does foxes poop look like) Video Resources

https://youtu.be/E-dwd4UoMG8
Fox scat video.
How to track a fox with fox scat.

Fox Poop Images

We have compiled a few fox poop images here, so that you may use them as reference when identifying fox scat.

See more about fox habitats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is fox poop white?

Is fox poop white? Yes, fox poop is usually white. It has fibers from animal hairs and feathers. Find out more in this article.

Do foxes poop in your garden?

Foxes like to poo on things to mark their territory and usually will do so on the outer perimeter of a garden rather than on the plants.

Why do foxes poop on things?

Foxes mark their territory by pooping and urinating on objects, such as rocks, stumps, and logs.

Is it hard to identify fox poop?

It is not hard to identify fox poop if you know what to look for, and what other animal’s droppings look like. Learn in this article how to identify fox poop.

Chad Fox

Chad Fox is an author and researcher dedicated to bringing reliable information about foxes to the public. He supports animal sanctuary awareness.

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