One day Mordenpool and I teamed up to try to find a geocache hidden in Shark River Park. Afterwards, we wandered further along and eventually came upon some interesting scat on a log. We could not immediately identify the animal it may have come from. So while Mordenpool contacted her group of eco-experts, I hid what would eventually become stage 2 of GCA2E42 (Spike the Squirrel: A Cautionary Tale). Mordenpool et al. eventually decided that the scat was from a raccoon who had eaten dog food, which seemed possible. Mordenpool went home, sent me these photos, and then let me know that it was up to me to list this puzzle.
The container is not hidden at the posted coordinates, but this is a good spot to view the lovely nearby waste water treatment plant. I think I'll have to up the difficulty rating for the odor in the area. Also, this area has hunting, so please dress appropriately or come on Sunday during that season.
Now for the scatology puzzle. You may assume N40 A.BCD and W74 E.FGH. Match up the scat with the appropriate animal.
A=segmented 3-5 inches long 1/2-1 inch diamether. The animal has excellent digestion so scat is hard and compresses little when stepped on. Frequently the animal scratces a bare spot and then covers their scat but they also can mark territory in middle of trails or at intersections.
B=Tubular like human feces but 5-12 inches long and 1 1/2-2 inches in diameter. Often with a blunt end and slight taper and often containing grass roots or fruits.
C=Animal tends to use same area as latrine over long periods of time. In the wild they like base of tree, tree fork or raised areas like fallen trees. Some say scat on a large tree limb is almost definitive of this animal. Scat can contain parasitic worms that can cause brain damage if gets into you. DO NOT TOUCH!!!
D=Look like raisinets 1/2-5/8 inch diameter pellets dark brown or black in piles.
E=Can be in middle of roads or at trail crossings or other prominent spots. Tubular with tapered ends 1 inch in diameter.
F=2-3 inches with pointed ends. Light tan to dark brown. In rural areas where diet is small birds/mammals it is long twisted with bits of bone and fur and noted for smelling horrible. In urban areas where animals can consume birdseed/bread/McDonalds then looks like that of small dog.
G=One of the few animals that you can tell the sex of the animal by its scat. Females create a spiral blob 3/8 inch diameter similar to a snail shell and white on one end due to uric acid. The male is similar but in a "J" shape.
H=This animal covers their droppings that are segmented with blunt ends and contains pieces of bones and hair. 5 inches long and 1 1/4 inch in diameter. Tends to be left in areas with soil or leaf litter.
Wild turkey-6
Mountain lion-6
Bobcat-11
Bear-9
Deer-9
Raccoon-5
Fox-6
Cyote-3