How's your skill in herpetology?

[LWB123]

Hello from Brisbane.

I recently noticed a bit of fresh scat on my workshop floor - smelt reasonably strongly when I pushed it with my boot and it seemed to be sitting in a small pool of clear oily matter about the size of a 50 cent piece.

I noticed a couple more of these single nuggets in and about the same place over the next few days - in each case just a single pellet a bit like a small piece of cat or fox ****e. Now I don't believe it is either species, but thought it might be from a toad or possibly a carpet snake (there is a fairly big fellow that shifts around the local block a bit). The workshop is enclosed by battens that would keep most possums, cats, etc out - and I doubt that it belongs to possums, bandicoots etc. There are plenty of toads about the yard, but to date they have been content to shift their business elsewhere.

Anyway, I haven't got a clue what it is and wondered if anyone else might hazard a guess - photos below. Failing that I can hand a sample over to the museum for their thoughts.

The last sample was near my beer fridge and I would hate to drop a valuable stubby groping about in the dark ..............

Cheers,

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

herpetology? for a moment I thought you were asking for specialitists in the study of Herpes

[pfillery]

IMHO, I'm no expert, but that is definitely a turd.

From an animal no less.

[Sully]

Rats mate.

[clubagreenie]

I initially thought you were talking about Hepatology and thought here we go again, another one of us sick.

What sort of length? The taper speaks volumes about reducing your options of what it comes from as well as the contents. Start collecting and soak a few in some water to break up gently and see if it plant, seed or other materials. That'll not only narrow you possible vermin range but impress the museum that you know something of it.

[tony66_au]

I can see this thread going very very wrong....................

For what its worth though most snake poo ive seen looks like a slightly oversized jelly bean.

id pop some rat bait blocks out, if the poo colour changes to match the bait then its a rodent.

Tony

[KarlB]

Few questions:

1. Is there any white chalky like material in the scats?
2. Is the texture fine and consistent?
3. Is there any smell, and if so of what (eg grassy smell or foul smell)?
4. Are the scats wet or dry (when fresh)?
5. Is there any smell associated with the "clear oily matter"?
6. Any small bone fragments or hair?

Cheers
KarlB

[big guy]

Only problem I see wrong with that is the Volvo key ring.

I had a fella that worked at the Zoo for a long time in the office just than, he had no idea, the pics did not show enough detail but a trip to a Zoo for examining may be worth it.

[VladTepes]

I was gonna say the thing on the LHS of the pictue is indicative of poo !

[tony66_au]

Im still waiting for the next turd ID pic to pop up lol.

Ive just come back from the barn and the grain storage area and the pics above look very much like large rat poo with some of the scat I saw there being nearly an inch long and tapered both ends.

Must be time to restock the bait stations.

Tony