Skunk

Skunks

ლ(ಠ_ಠლ)

Scientific name: Mephitidae

Common name: Skunk

We found this skunk on 2-20-13 and in position 4 

• Behavior:
• Skunks are day and night animals and lone animals when not breeding,  they may gather in community dens for warmth. During the day, they shelter in burrows which they can dig with their powerful front claws. Males and females occupy overlapping home ranges through the greater part of the year, typically 2 to 4 km2 (0.77 to 1.5 sq mi) for females and up to 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi) for males.
• What Skunks Eat?:
• Skunks eat just about anything: eggs, insects, fruits, rodents, dead animals, and more.
• They eat insects and larvae, earthworms, small rodents, lizards, rats,salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles, and eggs.
• They also commonly eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi, and nuts.  

Fun Facts:

• A snake bite does not kill skunks—they are immune to snake venom.
• A skunk has two anal glands that carry the spray material. These glands carry limited amount, enough to spray 5 to 8 times. Afterward, the skunk needs sometimes over a week to reload the glands. Skunks spray sparingly.
• Skunks are not aggressive toward humans. They only spray in self defense.
• A skunk always warns before spraying: it turns its back to the target, hisses, and stumps its feet.
• A skunk can spray the yellow oily foam (sulfuric acid) from its musk a 10 to 15 feet distance.

• Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. Over winter, multiple females (as many as 12) huddle together; males often den alone. Often, the same winter den is repeatedly used.
• Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing, they have poor vision, being unable to see objects more than about 3 m (10 ft) away, making them vulnerable to death by road traffic. They are short-lived; their lifespan in the wild is no more than three years, with most living only up to a year.   In captivity, they may live for up to 15 years.

Presentation Form:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19ddIHn3KT6sBpqk36REbeqC_J-i8dmvw9IuJEQ52vJ8/edit?usp=sharing