Critter Class

Skunks

Animal Diversity Web

October 3, 2011

MVK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEcTVa6YjcQ

Comment: HI MVK! What are we learning tonight ? Skunks?

Comment: YES!!! skunks!!!

MVK: Yes it is I!

Western Spotted Skunk

Comment: SKUUUUUNKS!!?? LOL

MVK: Skunks had been classified as a subfamily within the family Mustelidae, which includes ferrets, weasels, otters and badgers. However, recent genetic evidence suggests that skunks are not as closely related to the mustelids as previously thought; they are now classified in their own family.[2] Per Wikipedia

Comment: OK MVK!! I give in. I can learn skunks. LOL Are they noisy??

MVK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaFXUhm2EQs

Critter Class – Skunks 1 10/3/2011 Comment: Hi MVK, the baby skunks are soooo cute!!!

Comment: Please tell me this lesson doesn't come with a smell option!

MVK: Thank goodness it doesn't!!!

MVK: Skunk species vary in size from about 15.6 to 37 inches (40 to 94 cm) and in weight from about 1.1 pounds (0.50 kg) (spotted skunks) to 18 pounds (8.2 kg) (hog-nosed skunks). They have a moderately elongated body with relatively short, well-muscled legs, and long front claws for digging. Per Wikipedia

MVK: Although the most common fur color is black and white, some skunks are brown or grey, and a few are cream-colored. All skunks are striped, even from birth. They may have a single thick stripe across back and tail, two thinner stripes, or a series of white spots and broken stripes (in the case of the spotted skunk). Some also have stripes on their legs. Per Wikipedia

MVK: Skunks are one of the primary predators of the honeybee, relying on their thick fur to protect them from stings. The skunk scratches at the front of the beehive and eats the guard bees that come out to investigate. Mother skunks are known to teach this to their young. Per Wikipedia

MVK: I had a friend with a pet skunk - used a litter box and barked at the door when someone came up the sidewalk. Was descented but still had a funky smell.

Comment: Do the babies spray or do they get to a certain age before they can spray anybody??

MVK: Yes - they can spray even when little but not a lot of liquid like when they are older. Just little poufs. LOL

Comment: Wonder what momma skunk did when the human was handling her babies! So cute.

MVK: Skunks typically mate in early spring and are a polygynous species, meaning that (successful) males usually mate with more than one female. Before giving birth (usually in May), the

Critter Class – Skunks 2 10/3/2011 female will excavate a den to house her litter of four to seven kits. They are placental, with a gestation period of about 66 days.[7]

When born, skunk kits are blind, deaf, and covered in a soft layer of fur. About three weeks after birth, their eyes open. The kits are weaned about two months after birth, but generally stay with their mother until they are ready to mate, at about one year of age.

The mother is very protective of her kits and will often spray at any sign of danger. The male plays no part in raising the young and may even kill them. MVK: Per Wikipedia.

Comment: I grew up in western NY. We could always tell spring had arrived when we saw the first dead skunk along the road. Am not sure why there was a correlation of road kill skunk to warming weather, but if you ask anyone who lives up there they'll tell you the same thing.

MVK: Skunks are crepuscular and are solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their range they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day, they shelter in burrows that they dig with their powerful front claws, or in other man-made or natural hollows as the opportunity arises. Both genders occupy overlapping home ranges through the greater part of the year; typically 2 to 4 square kilometres (0.77 to 1.5 sq mi) for females, up to 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) for males. Per Wikipedia

MVK: Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. Overwinter multiple (as many as twelve) females huddle together. Males often den alone. The same winter den is often repeatedly used. Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing – vital attributes in a crepuscular omnivore – they have poor vision. They cannot see, with any clarity, objects more than about 3 metres (10 ft) away, making them vulnerable to death by road traffic. They are short-lived animals: Fewer than 10% survive for longer than three years.[6] Per Wikipedia

MVK: Skunks are opportunistic eaters with a varied diet. They are nocturnal foragers who eat fruit and plants, insects, larvae, worms, eggs, reptiles, small mammals, and even fish. Nearly all skunks live in the Americas, except for the Asian stink badgers that have recently been added to the skunk family. Per National Geographic

Critter Class – Skunks 3 10/3/2011 Comment: Just been doing a little homework on skunks....says their scent smells like a combination of rotten eggs, garlic and burnt rubber!

MVK: Skunks usually nest in burrows constructed by other animals, but they also live in hollow logs or even abandoned buildings. In colder climates, some skunks may sleep in these nests for several weeks of the chilliest season. Each female gives birth to between two and ten young each year. Per National Geographic

MVK: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recorded 1,494 cases of rabies in skunks in the United States for the year 2006 — about 21.5% of reported cases in all species.[14][15] Skunks trail raccoons as vectors of rabies, although this varies regionally (raccoons dominate along the Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico, skunks throughout the Midwest and down to the western Gulf, and in California). Despite this prevalence, all recorded cases of human rabies from 1990–2002 are attributed by the CDC to dogs or bats. Per Wikipedia

MVK: The most notorious feature of skunks is their anal scent glands, which they can use as a defensive weapon. They are similar to, though much more developed than, the glands found in species of the Mustelidae family. Skunks have two glands, one on each side of the anus. These glands produce a mixture of sulfur-containing chemicals such as methyl and butyl thiols traditionally called mercaptans, which have a highly offensive smell that can be described as a combination of the odors of rotten eggs, garlic and burnt rubber. The odor of the fluid is strong enough to ward off bears and other potential attackers and can be difficult to remove from clothing. Muscles located next to the scent glands allow them to spray with a high degree of accuracy, as far as 3 metres (10 ft).[8] The smell aside, the spray can cause irritation and even temporary blindness and is sufficiently powerful to be detected by a human nose up to a mile downwind. Per Wikipedia

MVK: Skunks are reluctant to use this weapon, as they carry just enough of the chemical for five or six uses – about 15 cc – and require some ten days to produce another supply.[citation needed] Their bold black and white coloring however serves to make the skunk's appearance memorable. Where practical, it is to a skunk's advantage simply to warn a threatening creature off without expending scent: black and white warning color aside, threatened skunks will go through an elaborate routine of hisses, foot stamping, and tail- high threat postures before resorting to the spray. Interestingly, skunks usually do not spray other skunks, with the exception of males in the mating season. Though they fight over den space in autumn, they do so with teeth and claws. Per Wikipedia

Critter Class – Skunks 4 10/3/2011

MVK: Most predatory animals of the Americas, such as wolves, foxes and badgers, seldom attack skunks – presumably out of fear of being sprayed. The exception is the great horned owl – the animal's only serious predator – which, like most birds, has a poor-to-nonexistent sense of smell. Per Wikipedia

MVK: It is horrible when you run over one that has just been hit by a car - ewwww stays with you for miles and miles.

Comment: I had the wonderful opportunity giving our cat two rounds of a bath to rid her of the skunk from being sprayed on our porch. We have seen the skunk and it is all white with a black. Never seen one like this color variation before. Any ideas how to get rid of the skunk safely for all concern?

MVK: http://www.ask.com/web?q=get%20rid%20of%20skunks&askid=f197c304-8396-4c3e-ac93- 7cb2081a0ff1-0-us_gsb&qsrc=999&o=102299&l=dir If you go here there are several options.

Comment: Oh my, just googled spotted skunk, they are adorable...I had never heard of one before....we always learn something new in class...just goes to show, you're never too old to learn....

MVK: Yes they eat the bees.

MVK: Someone was on last night and said something had been digging up her yard around a tree trunk - skunks also like grubs - that could be the culprit.

Comment: Thought it was interesting that it is not against the law to have skunks for pets in the UK BUT it is against the law to have them de-scented. Don't imagine there are too many of them in UK households!

MVK: Maybe that was the solution!

MVK: I don't think they should be descented either - their defense against predators.

Critter Class – Skunks 5 10/3/2011 Comment: Do skunks climb?

MVK: Bonnie - they have very powerful front claws which they use to dig dens, but I find nothing that says they climb - up things.

Comment: So, the skunks are more like puppies than cats? But I used to hear them called "polecats."

MVK: The word polecat (with pole- from either the French poule "chicken" or puant "stinking") which in Europe refers to the wild relatives of the ferret, has been attested in the New World to refer to the animal since the 1680s.[3] The word squunck is attested in New England in the 1630s, probably borrowed from Abenaki seganku[4] or another Algonquian language, with the Proto-Algonquian form */šeka:kwa/ being a compound of the roots */šek-/ meaning 'to urinate' and */-a:kw/ meaning 'fox'.[5] Per Wikipedia

Comment: Hi MVK, wonder why the male would kill his own kits? Seems sad that the female has to defend her babies from her own mate.

MVK: I wonder if it has anything to do with the nursing of kits that keeps them from going into estrus??? and the male wants her to go into estrus?

Comment: EGS is here, Hi Everyone. Did you like my skunk poem for extra credit?

MVK: Where is your poem EGS?

MVK: Well Claudia - did you bring a skunk in for show and tell? or should I say show and smell??? LOL

MVK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLYD5BdNd90&feature=related

Critter Class – Skunks 6 10/3/2011

Comment: Burnt rubber is a good description of the smell.....before EdWho came into my life and my cats were occasional out door visitors one of my boys (may he RIP--lived a fabulously long life at19 despite going outside!) got skunked 3 times over his lifetime...nothing worse than trying to bathe a reluctant, freaked out cat who STINKS! And, the smell would linger in the house for days.....those days are over now that the boys don't go outside-- they seem to have become resigned to it now after having a spell of depression early this summer!

MVK: Bathing a cat is bad enough but add the stinky smell - EWWWWW

Comment: Hi MVK - I saw a PBS special on skunks that even stated that rattlesnakes go silent when a skunk is passing by. Very interesting.

MVK: I think this may be the special from PBS http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/is-that- skunk/introduction/4514/

Comment: I have always heard tomatoe juice will help with the smell if sprayed.

MVK: I think the acid neutralizes the oil.

Comment: Good evening MVK! Are skunks known to stay in certain areas? There is a spot I drive by every morning on my way to school and it always smells like a skunk has been by there.

MVK: They are just about everywhere - live in abandoned buildings, under decks, frequent burrows that once belonged to other animals - just about anywhere.

MVK: Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material and changing their diet as the seasons change. They eat insects and larvae, earthworms, small rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles, and eggs. They also commonly eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi, and nuts. In settled areas, skunks also seek human garbage. Less often, skunks may be found acting as scavengers, eating bird and rodent carcasses left by cats or other animals. Pet owners, particularly those of cats, may experience a skunk finding its way into a garage or basement where pet food is kept. Skunks commonly dig holes in lawns in search of grubs and worms. Per Wikipedia

Critter Class – Skunks 7 10/3/2011

MVK: It sounds like they can find food just about anywhere too - so they are probably not limited to habitat.

MVK: They trail raccoons as a vector for rabies - yes they get rabies and can spread rabies. There is a high rate of rabies in raccoons and skunks and it is spread from them to other animals.

Comment: Do skunks use the same burrow year after year? or do they find new places each year?

MVK: Skunks are crepuscular and are solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their range they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day, they shelter in burrows that they dig with their powerful front claws, or in other man-made or natural hollows as the opportunity arises. Both genders occupy overlapping home ranges through the greater part of the year; typically 2 to 4 square kilometers (0.77 to 1.5 sq mi) for females, up to 20 square kilometers (7.7 sq mi) for males.

MVK: Their life expectancy is less than three years with only 10% living longer.

Comment: Q: What do you call a flying skunk? A: A smell-icopter.

Comment: I read that if you have a rodent problem, the skunks may take care of it.

MVK: Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material and changing their diet as the seasons change. They eat insects and larvae, earthworms, small rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles, and eggs. They also commonly eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi, and nuts. Per Wikipedia

Comment: Amanda had her dog sprayed by a skunk,; this is her "recipe" for how to get rid of the smell - skunk recipe from Amanda So, a good skunk spray remedy: a quart of hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 c baking soda, 1 tsp. dish detergent. Mix in a bucket, outside (hydrogen peroxide and baking soda will react ... be careful). Wash dog with solution... leave on for about 10 minutes, and be VERY careful around the eyes.

MVK: Thanks Kali - I think her dog got it several times this year.

Critter Class – Skunks 8 10/3/2011

Comment: Oops! It timed out before I could complete my message. Skunks used to get into our chicken house at night, looking for eggs. We'd hear the hens squawking. One time, a skunk didn't make it across our rural road. The young neighbor kids decided they'd have fun, by riding their bikes back and forth over it. Their mom was sure mad, and I remember a washtub full of tomato juice and kids, in the front yard! When I was in high school biology class one day, the gal that sat next to me, brought in her pet skunk. It had been de-scented, but there was still an odor about it.

MVK: Yes it does - even little stinkers are special.

Comment: EGS poem: The Skunk I have a little friend, who's colored black and white. I'd introduce you to him, but he's mostly out at night. He has a little trick, he can stamp his little feet. he can balance on his two front legs, which really is quite neat. He stands like that, and now, can swing his butt around. He then will quickly lift his tail, and firmly hold his ground. He now takes aim, and this is done in utter pure perfection. Do not stay within his range, if he points in your direction. A salvo of obnoxious fumes, is headed out your way. It will remain upon your clothes, forever and a day. If you decide to use a bus, or train to take you home. You'll have the place all to yourself, you'll sure be left alone. I'd like to take my little pal, to school for show and tell, But teacher said get out of here, that critter smells like...... well Now if you think, what I've just said, is just a lot of bunk I'll introduce you now, to my good friend, the skunk

Comment: Kali from TX: That is the recipe I have for a skunk-sprayed small dog; double it for a medium size dog and triple it for a large dog. Then the dog is rinsed with water. I used it on a small dog, who didn't like me anyway... but she smelled a LOT better! afterwards.

Comment: Aaah Picture of lightbulb!! How far can they spray - (and how high?) How accurate is it?

MVK: It doesn't say how far - but probably not too far away - which would make them pretty darn accurate! Also if the wind is blowing it may go a whole lot further.

Comment: Cute baby stomping!! Why was he doing that?? On the defense?? And the other one didn't do anything except run away.

MVK: It is a warning to the predator.

Critter Class – Skunks 9 10/3/2011 Comment: Hi MVK, Hope your Birthday was wonderful... Hello EN and Critter Nation. Just curious. What do you think Ed would say about de-scenting a skunk, or even having a skunk as a pet??? And again, thank you for all you wonderful mods.

MVK: Birthday was and is wonderful. LOL I think Ed would say - no to both. LOL

Comment: There are some great wipe that the pet stores have that work on skunk sprayed cats. My cat must have walked through grass that had been sprayed. Comment: This is the HUMANE SOCIETY'S formula recommended to neutralize skunk odor on a dog or cat: 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 teaspoon laundry or dishwashing soap. Mix, apply to animal, avoiding eyes and ears. Rinse off after 5 minutes. I have used this several times on my aggressive dachshund...

Comment: It means they often have rabies, as do raccoons, and can pass it to other animals through a bite. It’s better to have your dog sprayed by a skunk than bitten by one.

Comment: Just got in a bit ago--Howdy to all--My friend does dog & cat grooming. They get sprayed by skunk. Now she wets the animal down then poor GREEN Listerine all over & rubs it in. They do a good shampoo & smell is all gone. I did mention this to ED WHO one morning & he agreed. Some thing in the Listerine. My friend said it must be the green color. Wal-Mart had it on sale & she had lots of eyes on her when she pulled up to the check out with a cart with 24 bottles. LOL

Comment: Skunks and raccoons are carriers of rabies, Dogs get rabies. I have a recipe for a dip solution that calls for 3 quarts of hydrogen peroxide, some baking soda and Dawn soap on my refrigerator that I got from a local wildlife center. My vet, who is a hunter, swears by it.

Comment: Did one of those videos say something about spraying 10 ft? Or did you say that?

MVK: I didn't say the distance so must have been on a video. YIKES

Comment: I hear that skunks can spray 12 to 15 feet with accuracy. I didn't test it though. I heard it glows in the dark

Critter Class – Skunks 10 10/3/2011 Comment: Thank you MVK for your answer earlier about skunks (de-scenting and having as a pet). I actually figured Ed wouldn't like it. Enjoying class time... oh, if only we had had classes like this when I was in school--a long time ago! LOL! We don't have skunks here in Hawaii, but I sure enjoyed seeing them (from a distance) when my husband was stationed in Missouri at Fort Leonard Wood. Lots of forest there. And we only have two snakes here, in the zoo. It's illegal to have them. Have a good evening and Sweet Eagle Dreams everyone!

Comment: Where I live in NJ it is illegal to relocate a skunk, raccoon, opossum etc. Even if they are under your porch or shed. They say by relocating you could spread rabies to an uninfected area.

Comment: Try this for laughs http://youtu.be/Rj7CU3WqooM

Critter Class – Skunks 11 10/3/2011