Identifying Scat
‘EWWWWW....What is THAT?’ Have you ever heard these words while out hiking or said them yourself? Often the answer to this question is SCAT! Scat is the scientific name for animal poop and a much preferred term than poop, which inevitably results in lots of giggles from children of all ages. Discovering scat while hiking is an amazing learning opportunity you shouldn't pass up. Think of the observational and analytical skills to be learned!
‘Explore More: Scat & Tracks'
Learning Magazine
Our newest learning magazine is available NOW to help your young investigator safely hunt for and analyze tracks and poop!
Here is a preview of our Tracks and Scat guide that is included in your 13 page bundle of hands-on learning in the great outdoors!
Children can harness their math skills (measuring, geometry, arithmetic, graphing), language arts skills (writing, reading, vocabulary), science skills (animals, contrast, compare), and problem solving skills all while having fun and exploring scat and tracks!
Ways to Identify Scat:
Remind students NOT to touch the scat but to use their observational skills to notice the attributes of the scat.
By the Size of the Scat
look for:
length & width
(Use your stick ruler to lay alongside (not touching) the scat to find the length)
By what’s inside the scat
look for evidence of:
berries, hair, bones, seeds, feathers, corn, plant material and insect remains
By the Shape/ Form of the Scat
look for:
tubular, circular, oblong, oval, tapered, pointy, curled, round, cylinder
By the color of the Scat
look for:
color variations , shiny or dull, furry looking or smooth
After making your observations, consult a scat guide (like this one!) and determine who left the scat behind. Enrich your experience by trying to figure out what the animal ate and search for that food source nearby.
Fun Scat Activity
Use candy to help children practice their scat identifying skills!
Simply download & print our FREE PDF and then use our candy recommendations from the picture (or think of animal scat local to you and what candy it could be!) to allow children to guess the animal OR let children find candies or foods that they believe resemble scat they’ve become familiar with from their own hikes. Both are a great way for children to think outside of the box and make connections in their learning!
(Simply subscribe and you’ll get the password to ALL of our FREE PDFs!)
