Skunk

Skunk is also known as polecat. Throughout Texas as in most of North America, the striped skunk makes his presence know all too often. Usually on a damp or rainy night this mammal wanders over the countryside and into some urban areas, making
his unwanted presence known by his odor. The scientific name is Mephitis mephitis  which means, "noxious gas, noxious gas".

The skunk is in the Mustelidae family ("Catchers of mice"), along with ferrets, weasels, and mink. Their appearance is roughly wedge shaped, with the body widening out as you get to the long tail, which may consist of as much as half of their length. Most biologists agree that the striped skunk is one of 4 different types of skunk. There are the spotted skunk, the hooded skunk, the hog nosed skunk and, of course, the striped skunk. Wild skunks are nocturnal omnivores. They use their long dull claws to dig up their food, such as bugs. They also eat vegetation, caterpillars, eggs and just about anything they can find. Striped skunks are about the size of a house cat, and are famous for their trademark black and white coat and notorious means of defense, spraying enemies via glands on either side of the anus.

Skunks live in woodlands, brush lands, farmlands, and fields adjacent to rock outcrops and woods. Those found in Western Maryland may range in color from all black to the all white albino, but generally are black with a white cap extending from its head and shoulders, developing into two white stripes on its back. It also has a thin white stripe down the center of its face.  All species of skunk have long fur and long bushy or plumed black and white tails. The legs are short, the hind feet plantigrade and the soles of the feet are nearly naked and have strong curved claws.  Total length of an adult skunk is between 22 and 32 inches. Females can be up to 15% smaller than males. Males weigh an average of 5 pounds and females an average of 4 pounds. Skunks live between two and four years in the wild . They have lived in captivity for up to about 10 years.

Skunks are omnivorous, but they primarily eat insects. Up to 90% of their diet is animal matter. Included are grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, moth larvae, mice, eggs of nest grounding birds, apples, blueberries, and cherries.

When skunks are threatened they will arch their backs, stamp their feet, and shuffle
backwards. They may also walk on their front feet with their tails and back held high in the air, hissing or growling. Since skunks don't run very fast or climb trees, their main weapon of defense is a strongly scented, yellow liquid stored in two glands on either side of its anus. Each gland holds about a teaspoon of liquid. When a skunk decides to spray, it bends its body into a U shape pointing both its rear end and face towards the potential victim. It aims the nipples of its scent glands and shoots the musky liquid in a 30 to 45 degree arc. The liquid can be discharged in either a mist or a stream and is accurate up to about 10 feet.  The skunk shoots less accurately up to 16 feet.

The chemical causing the musky scent of the skunk's spray is actually a mixture of three different chemicals that can cause your eyes to burn if hit directly, but the pain does not last and is not damaging. Temporary blindness can occur but this is due mostly to the watering of the eyes. Ill effects can also occur if it is taken internally. The smell, however, is not temporary and there are a number of ways you can try to get rid of it.  Some suggested ways to get rid of the obnoxious smell from a somewhat irate skunk might be to use tomato juice to scrub the affected area, or perhaps a pet shop enzyme. Others suggest using a strong soap and water solution. Usually the only thing that really works is time.

An interesting item on the skunk's diet are tenebrionid beetles, some of which are capable of spraying a noxious chemical. It is that an animal whose main defense is a chemical spray eats an insect that has the same method of defense. Skunks are quite adept at avoiding the spray, however, keeping their eyes shut as they rapidly roll the beetle around in the dirt as it extinguishes its spray. Although skunks will sometimes be hit by the spray, the effects don't seem to discourage them as they continue rolling the beetles around until all of the chemical has been depleted.

The two most common types of skunks in the United States, the striped skunk, and the spotted skunk. (Texas is blessed with both)  Both have five toes on each foot which leave prints that are nearly identical.  The front feet are slightly less flat footed than the rear. The print sizes and the stride are the easiest way to distinguish between the tracks of the two skunk species. The tracks of a striped skunk will have footprints approximately 2 inches long. When running, the separation between clusters of prints is usually 5 to 6 inches. They can't be mistaken for any other animal its size.

The tracks of a spotted skunk typically have smaller footprints than a striped skunk.  Being quicker and more agile, their elongated heel pads are less
apparent than those of its larger, slower cousin. The clusters of prints for the quick spotted skunk can be 12 inches or more apart.  Many skunks live in underground dens that they line with dry leaves. Skunks eat caterpillars and other insects such as beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers. They also eat mice, rats, and other small rodents. Sometimes they eat eggs, fruit, grain and the rotting flesh of dead animals.
Skunks have few natural enemies, though bobcats, coyotes, foxes and owls have been known to attack them.