A big cat makes a big scat. Mountain lions weigh up to 220 pounds, and their poop or scat can be 15 inches in length. Mountain lion scat is a communication tool, and scientists study it to learn about the health and behavior of Arizona’s big cats.

The territories of mountain lions can exceed 100 square miles, and they mark their turf with scat. Mountain lions often poop on mounds of dirt to create “scratch piles.” These markers tell other mountain lions that the area is occupied. Mountain lions also deposit their scat in prominent locations, including the middle of trails, along ridgelines and near animals they have killed. In some cases, mountain lions bury their scat in a manner similar to domestic cats.

Scientists use scat to study the health, size and age of mountain lions. Hair and bones in scat can tell researchers what, when, where and how mountain lions eat. And abnormal scat can indicate a poor diet, disease, or parasites. Also, collecting scat is a noninvasive research method for counting mountain lion populations that has been used in Nebraska and California.

If you encounter an enormous poop in the wild, it just might be mountain lion scat. Due to its high calcium content, mountain lion scat may be white in color. And the shape tends to resemble the droppings of a very large dog. But the only way to conclusively identify mountain lion scat is DNA analysis.

PHOTO: Shutterstock.com