What Animal Is It?

What Animal Is It?

Not sure what animal might be living in or around your home or yard? Here are some common signs to help you identify who your visitor may be and what to do.

Common Signs:

• Skunks – Digging under decks or porches, torn-up patches of grass, and a strong odor are classic skunk signs. They often burrow under structures and feed on grubs and insects.
• Squirrels or raccoons – Noises in the attic are most likely these nesters. Raccoons are active at night; squirrels during the day. Young raccoons often sound like puppies. The size of the entry opening can also help you distinguish between them, as raccoons need much larger access points than squirrels. 
• Woodchucks, chipmunks, or moles – Long underground burrows, chewed garden plants, or disappearing flower bulbs may point to one of these small mammals.
• Deer – Raggedly torn twigs and leaves about three to five feet high suggest deer browsing. Their pellet-like scat nearby is another sign. 

Still don’t know? See our Intruder Excluder for help.

For additional information, see all of our Humane Conflict Resolution resources. There, you can read our Home and Yard page, see our Help for Gardeners page, and use our interactive Intruder Excluder, which helps to identify the animal and also provides step-by-step guidance on how to humanely resolve the conflict. Find more information about these and other animals on our Animal Species Information page. For all of our wildlife resources, see mspca.org/wildlife.