What Does Raccoon Poop Look Like? (Pictures)

When you live with raccoons in the neighborhood, the sight of raccoons playing around can make such an adorable sight. You can even wish for them to keep visiting every day, till they start using your home as their toilet. And knowing that their poop can spread diseases to your family can turn the once adorable sight of raccoons playing around your home into a horror sight. 

Indeed, a raccoon in your yard can be such a pest, with diseases spread through their poop. Which is why you have to handle raccoon poop with care. But how can you tell if the animal scat in your yard is from a raccoon? 

The first step to protecting yourself and your family from all the diseases that raccoon poop can transmit to humans is identification.  You have to be able to differentiate between raccoon poop and other animal poop.

How Big is Raccoon Poop?

Generally, raccoon poop will reflect what the raccoon has been eating. Some people have described it as looking like dark tree bark because it is dark and never smooth. 

Raccoon poop looks dark because their diets are always high in protein. It also contains patches of undigested foods such as nuts and other plant materials that the raccoon has eaten. Raccoon poop has blunt ends with a cylindrical body of about half to 1 inch in diameter and a length of 2 to 3 inches. 

This undigested food materials in raccoon poop are what make other animals like dogs find it palatable.  

Raccoon Poop Pile 

What does raccoon poop look like in a pile? The raccoon poop pile may look like a pile of other animal poop but on closer inspection, you will find all the features of raccoon poop in the pile. Raccoons are known to form raccoon latrines in peculiar places, some of which are parts of human homes.

These raccoon latrines are the places that raccoons find conducive to relief themselves, like bases of trees, attics, beside logs, etc. So when you start finding raccoon poop piles around your home, it may be that your home is serving as a public toilet (communal latrine) for raccoons.

What Does Raccoon Poop in Pool Look Like? 

Raccoons are well-known water lovers, and despite being known to wash their hands and foods in water, they also defecate in the same water. Just like cats, raccoons like to hide their poops, to prevent predators from detecting their presence. Swimming pools, lakes, and rivers seem to be perfect places to hide them, so don’t be surprised to find raccoon poop in your pool. 

Raccoon poop in swimming pools will look much like the ones on dry land. The only difference is that when the poop in the pool absorbs water, its dark color gets lighter and softer. If left in the pool to absorb water for too long, it will lose its firm shape and start scattering in the pool. 

What Does Raccoon Poop Smell Like?

In the identification of raccoon poop, apart from ‘what does raccoon poop look like’, another important question to ask is about its smell. 

Because raccoons’ diet contains lots of protein, their droppings usually have a pungent smell. And if the raccoon ate more fruits, its poop may have a very strong musky smell. Whichever way, raccoon poop smells very bad.

Is Dried Raccoon Poop Dangerous?

Yes, raccoon poop is dangerous, even in its dry state. This is because raccoon poop may contain roundworm, which can stay alive for years. So, even when the raccoon poop is dried, you still have to handle it with care, as it poses a health hazard. 

When raccoon poop dries, it can get crushed into powder form which wind can carry easily. Making a dry raccoon poop very dangerous, as it can be inhaled. 

What to do if You Find Raccoon Poop in Your Yard

Raccoons will defecate wherever they find conducive and return to that same place to defecate over again. To worsen it, other raccoons around will also begin to use that same place. And if it’s your yard, just get ready to see more raccoon poop there.

When you find raccoon poop in your yard or backyard, the best you can do is to get rid of it before it turns into a raccoon latrine. You can do this all by yourself or hire professionals to handle it. Hiring a professional is always better, especially when you do not know how to handle it. 

You can successfully remove raccoon poop in your yard by bagging and sending it to the right waste management, burying, or burning it. Note that burying may lead to an outbreak of diseases associated with roundworms because roundworms buried with raccoon poop can stay viable for years. This is why we would always advise people to burn or bag raccoon poop, instead of burying it.  

When trying to get rid of raccoon poop, wear disposable gloves, a nose mask, boots, and protective clothes that you can wash later on. Remember to pack up to 3 inches of soil layer beneath the poop alongside the poop. 

When you are done, burn the hand glove and the nose mask. Wash your protective clothes, boots, shovel, and any surface the poop came in contact with thoroughly. Use detergent and hot water because regular household disinfectants are not effective against roundworms.

What Should You do if You Are Exposed To Raccoon Poop 

When you get accidentally exposed to raccoon poop. Maybe by inhaling or swallowing things that have come in contact with raccoon scats, seek medical attention immediately. Because of the ringworm and other pathogens that raccoon poop contains, a delay after exposure is dangerous. 

Raccoon Poop Vs Possum Poop

Raccoon poop may look like possum poop in shape because they are both tubular and cylindrical. But possum poop looks unsegmented, more cylindrical, and smaller than raccoon poop. While raccoon poop looks black or dark brown, possum poop looks lighter with its color varying from light brown to gray. 

Fox Scat Vs Raccoon Scat 

Fox scat or fox poop looks like raccoon poop in so many ways, such as its varying appearance based on the animal’s diet. But they also have remarkable differences in size, color, shape, and content.

Raccoon poop is larger than fox poop as fox poop is just about 1 to 2 inches long and not more than half an inch in diameter. While raccoon poop looks darkish drown, fox poop looks reddish brown and its cylindrical shape has more twisted ends than a raccoon’s. Lastly, fox poop may contain undigested bones and fur, while raccoon poop mostly contains undigested nuts and other plant materials. 

Cat Poop Vs Raccoon Poop 

Although raccoon poop looks so much like cat poop, the poop you just saw may most likely belong to a raccoon than a cat. This is because cats do not like to advertise their poops, they prefer to conceal their poops by burying them in the ground. But a raccoon is not very meticulous in hiding its poop, it only makes a shabby effort to conceal it. 

Moreover, if it’s raccoon poop, you will most likely find undigested food materials in it, making it look brittle like dark tree bark. 

Now that you have gotten the answers to your questions such as, what does raccoon poop look like or smell like. You are better equipped to identify and get rid of raccoon poop in your surroundings to avoid possible infections. Also, remember to prevent raccoons from using your home as a raccoon latrine by removing anything that attracts them to your home.