Archive for the ‘the unknown, other, etc.’ Category

Credible 2006 Mountain Lion Sighting

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

I was organizing and going through some old magazines and came across this interesting item from the April 2006 Potomac Appalachian:

While on his way to remove a blowdown blocking the Big Run Loop North Trail in late January, Pete saw a big dark colored cougar cross Skyline Drive about 100 yards ahead of his car. It was about five feet long with a long tail and bounded across the drive in one jump…

The incident above is from page 21. The Potomac Appalachian is the newsletter of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, which maintains hundreds of miles of hiking trails in the mid-Atlantic region including many trails in Shenandoah National Park (Virginia).

Mysterious Scat Found in Arizona

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

One of the “fun” things about this blog is that sometimes people send me pictures of animal poop. I don’t consider myself an expert, but will try to help make an identification if I can.

Amanda submitted the following description and photos:

I came upon numerous samples of an unusually shaped scat in Window Rock, Arizona last week. I asked a local about it and they assumed it was cow or horse but having lived in a farming community most of my life, I feel very comfortable in saying that it is like no ‘pie’ I’ve seen before…

I would say they were often as long as an adult arm but coiled somewhat. The consistency of them did not betray fur or seeds or any distinct qualities. The most unusual part is the shape which is like stacked discs around 2 inches across.

The question is, what animal left these droppings?

Unidentified Scat Discovered in Arizona

Unidentified Scat Discovered in Arizona

Unidentified Scat Discovered in Arizona

Unidentified Scat Discovered in Arizona

Cougar on Virginia’s Eastern Shore?

Friday, February 19th, 2010

[Via Yahoo Eastern Mountain Lion Group]

Joanne Kimberlin of the Virginian-Pilot reports:

At least three people say they’ve spotted a mountain lion on the southern end of the Eastern Shore.

And no, they weren’t drunk.

Which leads to the next question: How could a mountain lion – a species long considered extinct in Virginia – wind up in a place as hard to reach as the Eastern Shore?

See Also: Mountains Lions in Virginia?

Scat Picture and Identification Discussion

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

I believe this scat most likely was deposited by a black bear. However, it is interesting to note that this scat was found near the automatic camera during the same time period when the mysterious possible abominable snowman photo was taken.

Scat with Leaves

Scat with Leaves

Scat Image Identification

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

I photographed this scat on a recent hike at Sky Meadows State Park in Virginia. I believe the tapered end and presence of hair is consistent with fox or coyote scat. Any thoughts?

Scat at Sky Meadows State Park

Scat at Sky Meadows State Park