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Originally from Asia, the raccoon dog is also native to us. This animal, which belongs to the dogs, is often confused with raccoons. But even without seeing it directly, the raccoon dog can be easily identified by its droppings.
In a nutshell
- Despite the great similarity, the raccoon dog is not related to either the marten or the raccoon
- The excretions are easily recognizable by their twisted, compact shape, around 8 to 10 centimeters long
- there is a high risk of confusion with the faeces of other similar animals
What does the stool look like?
The detachment of the raccoon dog is very uniform in all animals and is characterized by the following characteristics:
- around 8 to 10 centimeters long strands
- Thickness around 2 centimeters
- strongly twisted shape
- very compact
- very firm to lumpy consistency
- often gray to black in color
Notice: The characteristics are very similar to those of the marten. The droppings can be distinguished primarily by their size, which matches the larger body of the raccoon dog.
Source: By Kk - Own work (etwiki), GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19136466
Where can you find marten droppings?
When sexually mature, raccoon dogs form families of a male, a female and the young. Together, these associations maintain faecal and urinary sites that are visited regularly. A single occurrence of feces speaks against the presence of a family association.
Notice: Young animals live as loners and wander long distances in search of territory. Scattered droppings can therefore indicate young raccoon dogs passing through. However, you should keep an eye on this situation.
frequently asked Questions
Is marten droppings dangerous for humans?The excretions themselves are completely harmless. However, Nyctereutes procyonoides is considered a carrier of the dog or fox tapeworm, so that there is a certain risk.
Can the animals be driven away by removing the droppings?For example, if the location of a droppings in the garden is disturbing, you can move it around and get the animals used to a new place to deposit the droppings. The very clean animals generally avoid setting up too many “toilets”.
How easy is it to identify a raccoon dog's droppings?In addition to raccoon dogs, we have various other animals that have similar living and eating habits. It is therefore not easy to differentiate between marten, badger and raccoon droppings. In most cases, further signs of colonization are necessary for clear identification.