NWCO - Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator Wildlife Damage Identification Questions and Answers

Question 1

An inspector finds damage to electrical wiring in a crawlspace. The gnaw marks consist of paired, parallel grooves about 1/8-inch wide. Which animal is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Norway rat

Answer

Gray squirrel

Answer

Raccoon

Answer

Opossum

Question 2

A client's ornamental shrubs have damage on stems from the ground up to about 4 feet high. The ends of the twigs and stems appear torn and ragged, not cleanly cut. What animal is the most likely cause of this damage?

Accepted Answer

White-tailed deer

Answer

Vole

Answer

Woodchuck

Answer

Eastern cottontail rabbit

Question 3

A homeowner reports numerous small to medium-sized, irregularly shaped holes drilled into their cedar siding, some arranged in horizontal or vertical lines. What is the most likely cause of this damage?

Accepted Answer

Woodpecker

Answer

Carpenter bee

Answer

Flying squirrel

Answer

Bat

Question 4

Which of the following is the most reliable single characteristic for distinguishing a wild canid (e.g., coyote, fox) track from a wild felid (e.g., bobcat) track?

Accepted Answer

The presence or absence of claw marks

Answer

The overall shape being more oval than round

Answer

The shape of the main heel pad

Answer

The number of toes visible in the track

Question 5

A client complains of damage to their lawn consisting primarily of a network of raised ridges of soil that wind across the turf. These ridges are the tops of shallow tunnels. Which animal is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Mole

Answer

Vole

Answer

Norway Rat

Answer

Pocket Gopher

Question 6

During an inspection of a residential backyard, you find numerous small, hard, pea-sized, spherical droppings in a scattered pile under a dense shrub. What is the most likely source of this scat?

Accepted Answer

Eastern cottontail rabbit

Answer

Opossum

Answer

Raccoon

Answer

Norway rat