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Name That Poop! Test your animal tracking skills
So, you think you're a decent animal tracker? Well, then you must know a lot about a certain off-color subject: poop.
Sorry to get scatological, and I hope you're not eating, but let's put your excrement identification skills to the test with a little Friday diversion: Name That Poop. Check out the pics below and their descriptions. The answer key is at the bottom, and the animals are spelled backwards to keep you from accidentally cheating.
Here's your hint: these were all taken in Zambia in South Luangwa National Park. Good luck!
Exhibit A:
Small, dark brown pellets.
Exhibit B:
Again, these are small, dark brown pellets, but this animal uses their dung to mark their territory. The entire pack will "go" in the same place, resulting in a large pile like this.
Exhibit C:
Wrinkly poop.
Exhibit D:
One of my safari guides jokingly referred to this mystery animal's dung as "muffins."
Exhibit E:
Here's another hint: you can tell this poop came from either a carnivore or an omnivore. How? That white powdery color comes from ground up bones.
Exhibit F:
This extra white poop comes from an animal who clearly eats a lot of bones.
Exhibit G:
This animal actually beats his/her own poop into the ground with his/her tail. A local legend says that it's to prove to God that he/she hasn't been eating any fish. The story goes: the animal felt there were too many animals on land and asked God's permission to live in the water. God said "You are too big, you'll eat all my fish." The animal swore he/she wouldn't, and to this day he/she spreads out his/her own dung on the ground to show God there are no fishbones.
Answer Key:
A. Ukup
B. Alapmi
C. Olaffub
D. Elephant
E. Noil
F. Aneyh
G. Oppih
How did you do? Tell us below!
[Photos by Annie Scott.]
This trip was sponsored by Abercrombie & Kent and Sanctuary Retreats, but the ideas and opinions expressed in this article are 100 percent my own. In fact, I bet this is probably not what they expected me to write.
Small, dark brown pellets.
Exhibit B:
Again, these are small, dark brown pellets, but this animal uses their dung to mark their territory. The entire pack will "go" in the same place, resulting in a large pile like this.
Exhibit C:
Wrinkly poop.
Exhibit D:
One of my safari guides jokingly referred to this mystery animal's dung as "muffins."
Exhibit E:
Here's another hint: you can tell this poop came from either a carnivore or an omnivore. How? That white powdery color comes from ground up bones.
Exhibit F:
This extra white poop comes from an animal who clearly eats a lot of bones.
Exhibit G:
This animal actually beats his/her own poop into the ground with his/her tail. A local legend says that it's to prove to God that he/she hasn't been eating any fish. The story goes: the animal felt there were too many animals on land and asked God's permission to live in the water. God said "You are too big, you'll eat all my fish." The animal swore he/she wouldn't, and to this day he/she spreads out his/her own dung on the ground to show God there are no fishbones.
Answer Key:
A. Ukup
B. Alapmi
C. Olaffub
D. Elephant
E. Noil
F. Aneyh
G. Oppih
How did you do? Tell us below!
[Photos by Annie Scott.]
This trip was sponsored by Abercrombie & Kent and Sanctuary Retreats, but the ideas and opinions expressed in this article are 100 percent my own. In fact, I bet this is probably not what they expected me to write.
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