There's a Mystery Afoot!
April 16, 2011 12:41 PM Subscribe
Can anyone identify these splats? My friend found them in her Ann Arbor MI (USA) townhouse after having been away last weekend. They were on windowsills as well as the bathroom floor. In addition, a few small items on top of a tall piece of furniture were knocked over. While she was gone, the interior motion-sensor of her alarm system went off twice, but the service tech found and replaced a bad wire, so this may or may not be related. We assume it's animal droppings of some sort, but have no idea beyond that. Can you help?
I'm going to second a bird visitor.
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 1:37 PM on April 16, 2011
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 1:37 PM on April 16, 2011
Those splotches seem too thin and smeary to be a bird, and the close-up even looks a little oily/greasy. They also look like they could be droplets of a beverage that got smeared. Was the service tech inside the apartment? Could he be the culprit?
posted by amyms at 2:08 PM on April 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by amyms at 2:08 PM on April 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Don't look bat-guano-like; unlike any bird dropping I've ever seen.
I'm betting spill droplet, not animal dropping, since there doesn't appear to be much solid content... and too much for urine puddles.
posted by IAmBroom at 3:42 PM on April 16, 2011
I'm betting spill droplet, not animal dropping, since there doesn't appear to be much solid content... and too much for urine puddles.
posted by IAmBroom at 3:42 PM on April 16, 2011
Could be a seagull, they can be watery, are usually brown and can splatter over a fairly large area.
posted by biffa at 3:52 PM on April 16, 2011
posted by biffa at 3:52 PM on April 16, 2011
Maybe its a sample of the service technician's dna...
Just kidding
Looks like someone squashed a big, juicy caterpillar to my eyes.
posted by cinemafiend at 4:53 PM on April 16, 2011
Just kidding
Looks like someone squashed a big, juicy caterpillar to my eyes.
posted by cinemafiend at 4:53 PM on April 16, 2011
That looks like rat or similar small rodent pee to me. In the second photo it even looks like the tail was dragged through the pee.
I don't think it's bird or lizard because the "evidence" isn't cloaca poo/pee mixture.
posted by snsranch at 5:59 PM on April 16, 2011
I don't think it's bird or lizard because the "evidence" isn't cloaca poo/pee mixture.
posted by snsranch at 5:59 PM on April 16, 2011
Are they dry or wet? If they are dry, they look a lot like construction adhesive. If they are wet, rat vomit.
posted by gjc at 7:09 PM on April 16, 2011
posted by gjc at 7:09 PM on April 16, 2011
I am seconding dried rodent urine. It's one of the reasons they are considered pests.
posted by Xoebe at 1:33 PM on April 18, 2011
posted by Xoebe at 1:33 PM on April 18, 2011
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posted by fifilaru at 1:27 PM on April 16, 2011