When you have blood in your stool, it can look a few different ways. You may have bright red streaks of blood on your poop, or you might see blood clots or blood and mucus mixed in with it. Your stool could also look dark, black and tarry. The color of the blood you see may be a clue to where it’s coming from: Bright red blood in your stool usually means the bleeding is lower in your colon, rectum or anus. Dark red or maroon blood can mean that you have bleeding higher up in your colon or your small intestine. Melena (black stool) often points to bleeding in your stomach, such as a bleeding stomach ulcer.