![]() Also a wider photo of the scat and it’s surroundings can help with identification – is it in the middle of a road, off to the side, next to a tree, near the water, are there scratch marks nearby? Scale is extremely important as identifying scat under the best of circumstances can be challenging considering the wide range of factors that are involved. When photographing scat, we place the ruler next to the scat and take several pictures from different angles before moving the scat. We also always carry a camera and a 6-inch ruler. Of course we’re particularly interested in mountain lion scat and the camera crew carries a scat collection kit in our go pack so if we come across scat that is questionable – large, thick, tubular segments about 1 inch in diameter or more, or one long piece with blunt ends and some scratch marks nearby, for instance – we’ll be able to scoop it up for DNA analysis to determine if it is indeed mountain lion scat. But the only real ways to know which scat belongs to who if identification seems a close call, is if you see the animal defecate or by collecting the scat and checking it’s DNA. The thing to know about all scat is that it comes in many forms, colors and sizes and identifying scat can be challenging! Often scat can seem definitely distinctive and best guesses can be correct. Scat provides important information about what wildlife is in the area, what these animals are eating and what kinds of resources are available. Being out on the Preserve, walking where wildlife walks, the camera crew comes across a lot of scat.
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