Skunk poop has a tubular shape, blunt ends, and smooth surfaces. Skunk feces typically measure approximately one to two inches long and a quarter to half an inch in diameter. It often contains bits of fur, feathers, berry seeds, and undigested insects.
Skunks are famously known for their unforgettable stench that they emit when threatened. Also, you can easily recognize them by their unique black and white stripes. Skunks may seem docile but are known to cause serious havoc to your garden or property.
Being nocturnal, skunks can often go unnoticed for a long time. It’s therefore essential to know what their droppings look like. This especially applies if you suspect one has made a home in your garden, porch, yard, or house.
Skunk poop is harmful as it often contains larvae, bacteria, rabies, roundworms, and other diseases such as listeriosis carried by pests. This guide focuses on what skunk scat looks like, its risks, and other interesting facts.
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What does skunk poop look like?
Skunks are omnivores and consume a wide array of food, so their droppings can have a wide range of appearances. Skunk appearance is also affected by other factors such as the period since the dropping and weather.
A skunk, like a raccoon, opossum, or coyote, will invade your property attracted by food sources from your trash can, garbage can, and pet food. Skunk scat is similar to cat poop but has other unique features that make it easily recognizable.
You’ll likely find skunk poop in mounds close to a skunk’s nesting region. Skunk feces typically measure approximately a few inches long with a diameter of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter.
Skunk scat often contains bits of insects, the fur or feather small animals, small berries, and various seeds. The feces of spotted and hooded skunks look identical but are only half as large.
Check the color and feel to determine whether the skunk scat is fresh or old. Brighter and darker droppings that are moist to touch, they’re fresh.
Skunk droppings are hard, mushy, or crumbly, and the color ranges from pale brown to dark or black. Older feces are usually discolored and will often crumble or become ground up when squished with a stick.
How do you identify skunk poop?
Skunks are shy and elusive critters who generally come to feed and socialize at night. Often, homeowners realize they’re living with a skunk when they catch them off-guard.
The main indication of a skunk’s presence in your property or garden is their skat, similar to cat or raccoon droppings. Skunks are omnivores and mainly feed on pet food, insects, bird eggs, larvae, lizards, snakes, rodents, frogs, and voles, as well as fruit and plants.
Skunk poop usually contains what they eat, and you will often notice bits of berries, fur, feathers, and exoskeletons. Skunk dens can be daunting to find, and their droppings are the best indicator of their presence.
Skunks are poor climbers, and you’ll likely find them under the deck or porch. If you identify one, it’s advisable to call a wildlife removal company or expert to help with removal.
Does skunk poop smell like their spray?
The smell of a skunk scat is hundreds of times more tolerable than skunk spray. However, skunk scat has an unpleasant odor that most homeowners won’t stand.
Skunk spray has a stinging sensation, and the pungent smell can linger on your dog or clothes for weeks or even months. The spray comes from the oil-based glandular and is used as a repellent when a skunk feels threatened.
Skunk spray and feces have different chemical compositions and sources where the feces contain both the digested and undigested food remains. Skunk spray can smell up to a mile away; even skunks find it disgusting and refrain from spraying in their dens.
What’s the difference between skunk poop and dog poop?
Skunk droppings differ from dog poop in that they contain many insect parts, large amounts of fur, grass, feathers, berries, and seeds. Usually, skunk feces will disintegrate when prodded with a stick.
Skunks are also carriers for rabies. They carry parasites and viruses, including:
- hepatitis
- leptospirosis
- ringworms
- tapeworms
- equine protozoal myeloencephalitis
- feline panleukopenia virus
- canine distemper
- tularemia
- Q-fever
What to do if you identify skunk poop in your yard?
Unlike raccoons, skunks do not defecate in the same place. They tend to poop wherever they please so that you may find their droppings in your basement, yard, garden, or backyard.
Skunk poop carries health risks which can affect both animals and humans. For this reason, you should be extremely careful when handling the scat. You can also opt to contact your local critter control office to help with the infestation.