Bet you didn't know there was more than one kind of skunk.
There are the Striped Skunk, Eastern Spotted Skunk,
Western Spotted Skunk, Hognose Skunk, and
Hooded Skunk are all found in North America.
Skunks seldom hurry. They walk slowly. They don't usually
worry about predators.
All skunks are boldly colored. This is an an advertisement
to their enemies that they should not be bothered. They use their
bad smell to mark their territory and to repel danger.
Size: Striped Skunks are the largest. They are about the
size of a house cat (14 pounds).
Spotted skunks are smaller (2 pounds). Hognose and Hooded Skunks reach
up to five pounds.
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Characteristics: The bright black and white
color is common to all skunks. Most animals
use color for camouflage, but skunks advertise
their presence to ward off enemies.
Most skunks have a cat-size body and two
full-body stripes that begin at the base of the neck.
Skunks are primarily nocturnal. They are usually solitary. They live
alone except mothers and babies.
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Habitat: Skunks adapt to many habitats. They
live in open, scrub, wooded, agricultural, and
developed areas. Hooded and Hognose Skunks
are usually found in brushy or rocky land areas.
The Western Spotted Skunk can live in dry areas.
They will den near water in woodlands, brush,
open prairie, and among boulders and rock
crevices. Skunks can dig their own burrows.
They often live in the homes abandoned by other
animals. In urban areas, they will also nest in
houses, walls, basements, culverts, and
beneath buildings.
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Predators: Some predators can carry off a young skunk before
a mother can spray. Great
Horned Owls strike from above and without warning. Other predators
include coyotes and dogs.
The main threat to skunks are humans. Many skunks are run over by cars.
At one time,
Striped Skunks were hunted for their fur
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Reproduction: Most skunks mate in late winter or early spring.
Gestation time averages
around sixty to seventy-five days. Baby skunks are born in May or June.
The litters are
usually four to seven naked, blind kits. By three weeks, their eyes
are open. The young
skunks stay in the burrow for about six weeks. Then, they learn to
hunt from their mother
during the summer
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Self-defense: Skunks have two scent glands
near the base of their tails. Each one can spray
fine yellow droplets 15 feet or more. Besides the
odor, it can cause temporary blindness and
nausea. Even skunks dislike the smell.
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Food: Skunks are true omnivorous mammals. They
eat at night and will consume insects, rodents, frogs,
crayfish, bird eggs and nestlings, plus fruit, berries,
and other plants. Skunks will eat nearly anything they
can find or catch
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So this is my skunk quilt. I want to thank everyone for helping
me make this quilt.
Set made by Vanilla Orchids
All Rights Resesevered
Information about Skunks found here
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