FEATURED ANIMAL: SKUNK
Below you will find information about the wild skunk. There are important assignments, a contest, fun links to do skunk projects and learn more about this species, and questions and answers.
WILD SKUNKS
HUMANE EDUCATION LESSON PLANS
FOR TEACHERS AND HOME SCHOOLING
1. Skunks are in a family all their own - the mephitid family. There are about 4 different species of skunks, and quite a few sub-species. (Below are the spotted, hog-nosed, striped and hooded - from left to right.)
2. Skunks are slow-moving mammals. They don't have to depend on speed for defense because of their special weapon. With their slow, waddling gait and bushy tail, these gentle mammals are delightful to see from a distance, and play an important role in keeping nature in balance -- the natural way.
3. Most skunks live only a couple years in the wild. Skunks don't have very many predators, except for the great horned owl and man.
4. Skunks live in a variety of environments, including deserts, woodlands, grasslands, and suburbs, but are perfectly happy to move in under your home, if you let them. Skunks are found mainly on the North American continent (Canada, America, Mexico) except there are a few subspecies in Central and South America.
6. Skunks have a slow reproductive rate. They usually only have one litter of up to seven young per year born from late April to early June. The young are born with their eyes closed and lack fur. The mother hides them in a den when she leaves to feed. The babies are ready to go on their own in four or five months.
8. Anatomy: Skunks are about the size of a house cat, except their bodies are more pear shaped. They have very big and bushy tails that act as an alert that they are there and to leave them alone. They have long blunt nails to dig for insects and burrow. Although they have sharp teeth, they rarely use them in defense, because their spray is most accurate and effective at a range of up to 15 feet..
The most unique characteristic of the skunk is its ability to spray an oily, yellowish musk quite a distance. This fluid in the eyes causes intense pain and a temporary loss of vision. Although they do not hibernate, during the lean winter months they may become temporarily dormant.
9. Skunks don't actually stink. (What, you say??!!) Only what is sprayed smells. They rarely spray and it takes a lot to get them to do so.
Skunks rarely attack unless cornered or defending their young. If approached by an intruder and unable to flee, a skunk will usually fluff its fur, shake its tail, stamp the ground with its front feet, growl, do a funny little dance, look over its shoulder and point its rear at you to scare the potential attacker. If those techniques do not work, it will spray or whiff.
10. Diet: Skunks are omnivores. They eat pretty much everything in their path - rats and mice, snakes, snails, the eggs of ground-nesting birds and amphibians, dead animals, fallen fruit, and vegetables.
They also dig for insects, especially beetles, larvae, and earthworms. Their diet includes black widow spiders and scorpions. Being carrion eaters, they help keep roadways and neighborhoods clean. An estimated 70 percent of a skunk's diet consists of insects considered harmful to humans.
11. The striped skunk is the species most people know. Their bold black-and-white pattern warns other animals to keep away. Any animal that has been sprayed will never forget those distinctive colors.
Most people think the only solution to a skunk problem is to trap them. That is a mistake because trapping rarely works. Removing the food lure is pretty much the only thing that works and they just move away on their own.
12. Tracks - The skunk leaves a distinct pattern which is easily identified. The smaller front feet are pigeon-toed and placed just ahead of the larger rear feet while in motion. This five-toed creature has long claws which are usually evident in the print.
13. Skunks are active at dusk and dawn (called crepuscular), but are sometimes active at night or even during day if people leave food out at that time.
Skunk Links
Our web site information is the most correct and updated, although some of the links still contain outdated data about the skunk.
