Skunk poop vs dog poop: how to tell backyard droppings apart

Quick comparison

Scat is hard to read from a photo. Use this table as a starting point, then look at where it was left and what is inside.

The descriptions come from the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. We found no agency source with a size figure for skunk scat, so that row describes shape and habit only.

Skunk poop

The Aldo Leopold Nature Center says skunk scat can vary in shape but is usually tubular with blunt ends and a smooth surface. The same sheet says skunks dig small holes along their tracks while foraging.

UC Integrated Pest Management says skunks dig small pits or cone-shaped depressions 3 to 5 inches across in lawns, looking for grubs and insects. Small holes in the lawn plus tubular droppings point toward a skunk, but neither one proves it.

Skunks eat a lot of different foods. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists fruit, seeds, insects, rodents, reptiles and eggs, and pet food or trash. UC IPM says food put out for pets should be removed by nightfall.

Raccoon poop

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife describes raccoon droppings as crumbly, flat-ended, and holding a mix of food items. They run 3 to 5 inches long but are often broken into segments, with a width about the size of the end of your little finger.

Raccoons go in the same places over and over. CDC says they typically use the base of trees, raised forks, or raised horizontal surfaces like logs, stumps and large rocks. They also use woodpiles, decks, rooftops, attics, garages and sandboxes. A pile of these in one spot is called a latrine.

Raccoon droppings can carry a roundworm that infects people. Do not handle them. See the cleanup section below.

Opossum and coyote poop

The Leopold center puts opossum droppings at about 1 to 3 inches long and often pointed, with a lot of variation by diet. It also says to stay away from opossum scat, because it can cause serious disease.

Coyote scat is the easiest to confuse with dog poop at a glance. New York DEC says coyote scat often contains hair and bone fragments, has tapered and twisted ends, and measures under an inch across. It says dog scat is typically more uniform and often lacks the tapered end. Wild canids also leave scat in prominent spots along trails as a territory marker.

The difference to look for is the contents. If you can see hair, bone or seeds in it, it did not come out of a dog eating kibble.

What brings them into a Temecula Valley yard

The same few things draw most wildlife to a yard: pet food left outside, garbage, and easy shelter. UC IPM says pet food left outside overnight ranks high as a food source for raccoons, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists pet food and trash for skunks.

On coyotes, the City of Temecula says its animal control contractor, Animal Friends of the Valleys (951-674-0618), refers coyote issues to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. CDFW's Inland Deserts office is 909-484-0167. The city page says CDFW does not remove, trap or put to death coyotes that have attacked pets, and recommends a trained professional for a problem coyote.

We found no wildlife agency source saying dog poop itself draws these animals. Our guide on rats covers the rodent link, and rodents are what draw some predators in.

Cleaning up safely

Dog waste is simple: bag it, wash your hands. CDC says dog and cat poop can carry parasites and germs that can harm people, and recommends washing hands after cleaning up after pets. Our guide on whether you can get sick from dog poop goes deeper.

Wild animal droppings are different. CDC's raccoon latrine guidance says to wear disposable gloves, scrubbable boots or disposable shoe covers, and an N95 respirator in a confined space. It also says to mist the area first to cut dust, and to remove contaminated material by burning, burying, or landfill disposal. Eggs are not visible to the naked eye, and newly deposited ones take at least 2 to 4 weeks to become infective, so prompt removal helps.

CDC says most chemicals do not kill the roundworm eggs and heat does. If you find a latrine, call local animal control rather than going at it with a hose. Scoop King removes dog waste, so we are not the people to call for wildlife droppings.

This page is general information, not medical advice. UC IPM says any skunk bite should be seen by a doctor promptly, and the local health department should be told.

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