Discussion:
Are these Rat Droppings - or what?
(too old to reply)
Mike Hardingham
2003-08-30 16:52:00 UTC
Permalink
Can someone help on this please? We live in Shropshire in the country and
some small turds have just started appearing in our garden - my wife and I
are arguing about whether they could be rat droppings or are they fox,
badger, squirrel or something else? They are between 1 and 3 inches long,
possibly large enough to come from a very small dog but there are no small
dogs round here - and we don't think they are from a cat. Can anyone
confirm that these are definitely not rat droppings? Pictures (approx 100k)
are

Loading Image...
Loading Image...

Thanks
Jim Ford
2003-08-30 18:17:49 UTC
Permalink
* Mike Hardingham <***@btinternet.com> deigned to grace
* uk.rec.natural-historywith their presence by declaiming:

<SNIP>
Post by Mike Hardingham
dogs round here - and we don't think they are from a cat. Can anyone
confirm that these are definitely not rat droppings? Pictures (approx 100k)
I'd say they were hedgehog droppings - definitely not rat. Rat droppings are
like big mouse ones - oval, about 6mm long.


Regards: Jim Ford
--
Spam poison - don't use! ---> ***@watford53.freeserve.co.uk <---
Malcolm Ogilvie
2003-08-30 18:33:06 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike Hardingham
Can someone help on this please? We live in Shropshire in the country and
some small turds have just started appearing in our garden - my wife and I
are arguing about whether they could be rat droppings or are they fox,
badger, squirrel or something else? They are between 1 and 3 inches long,
possibly large enough to come from a very small dog but there are no small
dogs round here - and we don't think they are from a cat. Can anyone
confirm that these are definitely not rat droppings? Pictures (approx 100k)
are
http://www.hardingham.org/Drop1.JPG
http://www.hardingham.org/Drop2.JPG
I don't know how large you think rats are, but if one produced droppings
this size it would rupture itself! Rat droppings are a quarter to half
an inch long at most and very tapered at one end. These are definitely
NOT rat droppings.
--
Malcolm
Malcolm Ogilvie
2003-08-31 07:25:11 UTC
Permalink
This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.
Peter Ashby
2003-09-01 09:54:23 UTC
Permalink
Post by Malcolm Ogilvie
Yes, indeed, rats can grow up to a foot long in body size, but the mere
fact that they produce several droppings at once is linked to the size
and shape of their rectum. If you've ever seen a rat dropping the size
and shape of those in the photographs, I will be duly amazed, and very
sorry for the rat :-)
I've seen mice with a hepatic virus produce copius quantities but those
were very runny, and mustard coloured.

Peter
--
Peter Ashby
School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland
To assume that I speak for the University of Dundee is to be deluded.
Reverse the Spam and remove to email me.
Helen
2003-08-31 08:08:45 UTC
Permalink
Not rats (I once had rats as pets).

Agreed that they ARE hedgehogs droppings.
Andy Dingley
2003-09-02 12:38:26 UTC
Permalink
On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 16:52:00 +0000 (UTC), "Mike Hardingham"
Post by Mike Hardingham
Can someone help on this please?
Fox or hedgehog. Size suggests hedgehog (hard to tell from just a
couple of pictures), but the easiest way to tell is that hedgehog is
blacker and full of indigestible beetle wingcases. Fox's are small
dog-like things.
unknown
2003-11-05 10:25:30 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike Hardingham
Can someone help on this please? We live in Shropshire in the country and
some small turds have just started appearing in our garden - my wife and I
are arguing about whether they could be rat droppings or are they fox,
badger, squirrel or something else? They are between 1 and 3 inches long,
possibly large enough to come from a very small dog but there are no small
dogs round here - and we don't think they are from a cat. Can anyone
confirm that these are definitely not rat droppings? Pictures (approx 100k)
are
http://www.hardingham.org/Drop1.JPG
http://www.hardingham.org/Drop2.JPG
Thanks
The second one is 100% a hedgehog dropping. If you look closely I'm sure
you'll be able to see fragments of black beetle wing-cases and carapaces.
--
Tim.

If the human brain were simple enough that we could understand it, we would
be so simple that we couldn't.
Malcolm Ogilvie
2003-11-05 13:30:34 UTC
Permalink
Post by unknown
Post by Mike Hardingham
Can someone help on this please? We live in Shropshire in the country and
some small turds have just started appearing in our garden - my wife and I
are arguing about whether they could be rat droppings or are they fox,
badger, squirrel or something else? They are between 1 and 3 inches long,
possibly large enough to come from a very small dog but there are no small
dogs round here - and we don't think they are from a cat. Can anyone
confirm that these are definitely not rat droppings? Pictures (approx 100k)
are
http://www.hardingham.org/Drop1.JPG
http://www.hardingham.org/Drop2.JPG
Thanks
The second one is 100% a hedgehog dropping. If you look closely I'm sure
you'll be able to see fragments of black beetle wing-cases and carapaces.
They're both hedgehog in my view. Rat droppings are usually much
smoother and more elongated than that, more pointed at the ends, like
large mouse droppings, indeed!
--
Malcolm Ogilvie
Loading...