- Skunks are active at night, so nighttime is a good time to close off
entrances to dens.
- Skunk odor near your home is not necessarily an indication of skunk
presence. A neighbor's pet may have been sprayed.
- The most effective means of avoiding skunk problems is to remove the
denning sites under and around structures such as garages and homes.
- Skunks eat many pest species that cause damage to lawns and vegetation.
In most situations, skunks are more beneficial than problematic.
- Length ...Overall length ranges from 40cm (16in) to 68cm (27in)
- Weight …From 0.5kg (1.1 lb) to 3kg (6.6 lb).
- Longevity ...At least 7 years (8-10 years in captivity).
- Skunks are the chief carrier of rabies. Skunk spray is not known to
carry rabies virus.
- Skunks can spray up to 4-7m (13-23 ft) in a favorable wind-although
they are usually only accurate for up to about 2m (6.5ft).
- Skunks are best known for their odorous defense. They are able to
expel a fine spray of foul-smelling musk. The skunk's scent glands are
mature at less than one month of age.
- Most species of skunk forewarn predators by stamping their front
feet, raising their tail and walking stiff-legged
- They are found in a wide variety of habitats, and are common in many
urban areas, but prefer open or forest edge areas, where they forage
at night, using their long front claws for rooting out food.
- The skunk can be found in southern parts of Canada.
- It likes to live along the edge of the forest, or in pastures where
there are bushes, or on the grassy prairies.
- Females occupy home ranges of 1-2sq km (0.4-0.8sq mi), each overlapping
at least partially with other females.
- The territory of one male will encompass those of several females,
but rarely that of other males.
- Males have no role in raising young.
- In fact, aggressive behavior by adult males toward females and their
young can result in deaths.
- Sometimes the skunk will dig its own den, but it may also move into
another mammals den.
- Skunks also live under old buildings.
- The skunk drags dried leaves and grass into its burrow to make a
mat.
- In the winter, it might form a ball of grass and push this into the
door of the den to keep out the cold wind.
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