Skunk               

Introduction

Skunks are 13-16 inches long. They are in the weasel family and are found in fields and woods. Each striped skunk has its own unique striped pattern, has a bushy tail, short legs, clawed feet, and a long snout. It has poor vision but its smell and hearing is good. Skunks produce a very smelly spray that repels most predators that can temporarily blind you. This oily, yellow liquid is produced in two glands located under the tail. Before a skunk sprays it goes through a series of warning motions. First it erects its tail and stamps its feet. Then it will hiss. If the intruder has not gone away by then, the skunk will spray, standing slightly at an angle so it can keep its eye on its target. A skunk can spray as far away as 12 feet and as many as 8 times. Skunks never use their spray when quarreling with other skunks., they go for their opponents neck with their sharp teeth. Skunks are usually nocturnal, coming out well after dark.

Food Habits

Skunks eat insects, rodents, reptiles, small mammals, worms, eggs, fish, fruit, and plants. They are good diggers with large claws, they root in the ground for food. The skunk zigzags, rooting along in search of something edible. If it finds a tiny rodent, it catches it quickly and swallows it whole. They particularly enjoy grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and wasps.

Family Life

Skunks live, often several individuals or families together, in dens made in abandoned burrows or buildings or in rock piles. Skunks usually breed in the spring, from February to May. A second mating may occur later, if the skunk did not find a mate, or fails to impregnate. Young are usually born in May or June, with the average litter being 5 to 8 babies. Young are weaned at 8 weeks and typically, stay with the mother until they are 2 to 4 months old. Some juveniles will stay with their mothers or siblings until the following spring.

Winter Habits

Skunks sleep through much of the winter, but they do not truly hibernate and may emerge during warm spells.

Threats

Great Horned Owls.

Benefits

Skunks consume many insect and rodent pests. They can eat several hundred insect pests in a single day.

Problems and Solutions

Skunks like to work their way under a shed or porch to sleep during the day and like dark crawl spaces. One way to deter them is to sprinkle mothballs on the ground around the foundation. Avoid using spun fiberglass for crawl-space insulation, since it can be used as nest building material. Remove large woodpiles or junk piles to prevent skunks from making a den under them. Store items up off the ground, at least 18 inches. Cover compost piles completely and tightly with a heavy tarp.

Harvest your garden vegetables as soon as they are ripe. You can install motion-detection lights to discourage midnight feeding by skunks and other animals. Spray fruits and vegetables with hot pepper spray.

Skunks causing lawn and turf damage may be encouraged to leave by controlling grubs, worms, and other subsoil insects. Chemicals to control these insects may be obtained at hardware or garden supply stores. You can also use a repellent, such as coyote urine.

The skunk is a primary carrier of rabies.