Otter friend or foe

[chesters1]

Experts?

 

No one I think can count themselves as an expert on this subject, I think there is still a lot to learn.

 

What is for sure that views seem to be very polarised as whether that Otter is Friend or Foe.

 

and which way is that?

 

if of course it was that otters are our friends the post would have ceased long ago

Edited November 15, 2011 by chesters1

[Phone]

teme man,

 

Just so you don't become confused. I am an expert.

 

Phone

[Phone]

Vagabond,

 

Ohh 'ell!! I thought it ((all)scat) was ground up and examined under a microscope. I thought identification took place by some fancy "scientific" stuff. You know - stained, acid baths, blah, blah. The size, shape, texture, etc. of the scat in the field - I wouldn't think - - - are of major importance????????

 

This focus of this topic has become discusting. - - - (but fun and informative)

 

Phone

[Vagabond]

The size, shape, texture, etc. of the scat in the field - I wouldn't think - - - are of major importance

 

I wouldn't think so either (apart from the scat size confirming the anal diameter of that particular otter )

 

What is important, in the context of what we are discussing, is how big the fragments (ie scales etc) in the scat are, and what species and size of prey they come from.

[Steve Walker]

A friend of mine at university based his final year undergraduate honours project on an analysis of the diets of fox, pine marten and buzzard, looking at scats for the foxes and martens and pellets for the buzzards. Because of the risk of toxoplamosis, he had to autoclave the scats before analysing them. The aroma of steamed fox crap is quite something. Unluckily for me, the lab in which I was conducting my own experiments was on the same floor!

 

[corydoras]

The size, shape, texture, etc. of the scat in the field - I wouldn't think - - - are of major importance????????

I'm sure a Scatologist would disagree with you profoundly Phone.

 

As a "hobby" I used to collect owl pellets when I was a nipper. I used to soak them in biological clothes washing powder to digest away all the fur, leaving me with just the teeth and bones. By examining the teeth and bones with a magnifying glass, or one of the schools binocular microscopes if I pestered one of the science teachers enough I could work out what the local owl population was dining on. Much better than playing soccer, not as smelly as scats

[corydoras]

The aroma of steamed fox crap is quite something.

I can imagine. What would you suggest to go with that? Perhaps a well rounded merlot or a full bodied chianti?

 

Where does one go to find pine martin poo? That's must be quite a rare commodity. How does one discern the difference between say, pine martin crap and polecat turd?. This is quite a thread. I didn't think that mustelid manure could be so interesting. Anyone up for lightly poached feline fewmets?

Edited November 15, 2011 by corydoras

[Steve Walker]

I can imagine. What would you suggest to go with that? Perhaps a well rounded merlot or a full bodied chianti?

 

A pint of ammonia with a petrol chaser

 

Where does one go to find pine martin poo? That's must be quite a rare commodity. How does one discern the difference between say, pine martin crap and polecat turd?. This is quite a thread. I didn't think that mustelid manure could be so interesting. Anyone up for lightly poached feline fewmets?

 

His girlfriend was working on them somewhere up in Scotland - he was a mature student, having worked in conservation for a few years before starting a zoology degree. Not sure how you tell one mustellid dropping from another, but I wouldn't be surprised if it involves sniffing it.

[corydoras]

A pint of ammonia with a petrol chaser

 

 

 

His girlfriend was working on them somewhere up in Scotland - he was a mature student, having worked in conservation for a few years before starting a zoology degree. Not sure how you tell one mustellid dropping from another, but I wouldn't be surprised if it involves sniffing it.

We'll have to badger Worms for more information. I'm fed up ferreting around in Google Edited November 15, 2011 by corydoras

[Worms]

but I wouldn't be surprised if it involves sniffing it.

Oh it does!!!

 

 

Funnily enough most Mustelid poo is quite...er...aromatic?