I am writing a blog about skunks because of a chance and novel encounter that my husband David and I very recently had with a skunk. In the past most of my encounters with skunks were based on applying tomato paste liberally to many of our dogs after they were sprayed by skunks. This time, early one morning, I was feeding sunflower seeds to the wild turkeys that call our property their home turf. As I was broadcasting the seeds, I noticed a smallish skunk ambling my way. I watched it carefully and with some amount of fascination as it slowly passed within three feet of me. He (she), went on to check out the area under the front bushes that were directly in front of the foundation of my home. I did not feel threatened in any way from this seemingly gentle being but was intrigued as to what it was doing and where it was going. Was it a young skunk exploring the world it lived in, or just hungry and looking for food? Why wasn’t it defensive and bothered by me, a hulking giant? And most important, why didn’t it spray me? Eventually, it slowly turned the corner of our house and headed toward the backyard. I wondered if my husband David was still feeding the chickens, ducks and Copernicus, our rooster, their morning meal. At breakfast, both David and I couldn’t wait to tell each other about our skunk adventures. David told me that as he emerged from the outside enclosed fenced off chicken pen, and while he was fastening the door latch, he felt a tug at his pant cuffs. Much to his surprise when he looked down, it was the skunk! He slowly but steadily walked backwards to the patio about 20 feet away from the chicken coop. The skunk slowly followed him! Then the skunk took one more look at him and sauntered off towards our neighbor’s property. During this whole encounter, David was more amused, curious and fascinated rather than freaked out. The skunk seemed very friendly and curious. He too wondered why he didn’t get sprayed! After this chance meeting with this specific skunk, I realized that I did not know much about skunks. I decided to do some research so I might understand more about this species. Maybe I could get some insight why David and I did not get sprayed and had a gentle encounter with a skunk. Fun Facts about skunks: Skunks, along with the stink badger are mammals in the family Mephitidae. There are ten species that live in North, Central and South America and two species in Indonesia and the Philippines. Five species of skunks live in the United States but only the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis nigra) occurs in New England. They are basically similar in size to a domestic cat, weighing 6-14 pounds. They have pointed snouts and small, triangular heads with a white stripe on the nose and forehead. Their coat is black with two white stripes that run down their back. These white stripes are as unique as human fingerprints, varying for each individual. The tail is wide, long and bushy and can be all black or have varying amounts of white. Because skunks have short legs, they appear to waddle when they walk. It makes them look cute and endearing. They are highly adaptable and use a variety of habitats including meadows, farmlands, woods, wetlands, beaches, agricultural areas as well as urban and suburban developments. Basically, they are everywhere! Breeding season occurs from February through March. In late April to early June, the female will excavate a den and give birth to 2 – 10 kits which are born blind and helpless. It will be 6-8 weeks before the kits will emerge from the den and follow their mother in search of food. They will be independent at two to six months. In the wild, the average lifespan of a skunk is 2-3 years. They can live up to 15 years in captivity. Skunks are not true hibernators. Whenever the temperature is above 30 degrees, even in the middle of winter, skunks become active and are out looking for food. They are prey animals and their predators include Great-horned owls, coyotes, foxes and domestic dogs. They are nocturnal and forage for food while many animals and most humans are sleeping. They are omnivores, (they eat both meat and vegetation). Their diet consists of plants, insects, larvae, worms, fruit, eggs, reptiles, small mammals and fish. They have sharp nails and their foraging involves digging and often appears as a single, small hole in a lawn, leaf litter or sand. The skunks defense, and most memorable trait, is its ability to accurately shoot a smelly, oily substance from a gland underneath their tail with a range of up to 10 feet. Before spraying a potential victim the skunk will give many warning signs. The last warning sign is when it raises its tail! The scent can last for days but isn’t harmful. Most animals leave skunks alone unless they can’t find other prey. Some skunks, included the spotted skunk, will do a handstand on its front paws and aim its tail without taking its eyes off its attacker. Skunks are typically docile mammals that tolerate humans in close proximity without showing aggression. If you encounter a skunk, remain calm. Speak softly and slowly move away in order to give it room to leave. Once you back away, the skunk will no longer feel threatened and will move off. It is currently legal to own domesticated skunks in only 17 states including Massachusetts. Domesticated skunks are those that have been bred in captivity. They are known to be docile, loving, curious and playful. They can be wonderful pets if trained properly. One must put in the same effort and time as is needed in training a cat or dog. Skunks can be successfully trained to use a litter box, similar to cats. The difference between a wild skunk and a domesticated one is that domesticated skunks are de-scented when they are between two and five weeks old. Although this is a relatively simple procedure, there is some debate as to whether or not de-scenting skunks is humane. A de-scented skunk is one that has been stripped of its only natural defense. They should not be allowed to roam freely and unprotected outside. Note: A week after my skunk encounter, I was talking with a member of the landscaping team I often work with on the property next to where I live. He told me that a week earlier he was working with another member of our team who had his dog with him. The dog saw the skunk coming his way and ran over to explore this new, small, possible friend. Needless to say, the dog got sprayed and the skunk ambled unharmed on his way! However, both the dog, and his owner were not able to join the work crew for some days. Also, the truck that the owner drove had to be thoroughly professionally cleaned. Lesson: Dogs and skunks, even friendly ones, do not mix!
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AuthorConsultant, designer and educator transforming commercial and residential landscapes sustainably Archives
March 2023
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