Meet the skunks

[REP]

I live in an area that has lots of wildlife, including skunks. Skunks are pretty misunderstood. They're intelligent, curious, social animals, much like cats and who only spray if they cannot escape or scare off a threat. They eat vermin as well as harmful insects and slugs and snails, and their presence keeps predators away. Plus they are cute as hell.

These are baby skunks, called kittens, who live under my deck.

1 skunk


2 skunks


3 skunks


SKUNK PAAARTAAAY!!

[PoliticAverse]

1. Fess up, how far away were you when you took those photos... n/t

[REP]

2. 5 feet. Lens has a minimum focal distance of 3 feet.

[Wait Wut]

3. They're also very brave.

My old pitty was raised by cats. I was out in the yard with him when his little ears perked up and he went skipping over to the other side of the yard. I watched as he hopped back and forth, did that 'I'm gonna pounce on you!' stance, etc. I figured it was one of the neighborhood stray cats, so I started walking over. Some of the strays in our neighborhood were pretty vicious.

It was not a cat. It was an enormous skunk who did NOT want to play with my dog. I knew my stupid baby thought it was a cat. He tried and tried to get the skunk to play while I frantically, and quietly, tried to call him over. He'd just look at me with this big grin like he was saying, "Look at the pretty kitty, mom!"

This skunk was the most patient animal I've ever seen. He was foraging and was doing his best to ignore my dog who was only about 2 feet away. My dog just kept poking at him over and over. The skunk would turn, stamp his little feet, lunge a little and then go back to foraging. But, I could see his patience was getting thin. I kept calling my stupid (but, incredibly sweet) dog to no avail.

Finally, the skunk had enough. But, he didn't spray my dog directly. He turned sideways and gave him what I can only call a 'warning shot'. It was enough. My poor dog got a good whiff and came trotting back to me, heartbroken and dejected.

The skunk went back to digging without a care in the world.

[REP]

5. Aren't they?

They have almost no defense besides the spray. They're very nearsighted; their teeth are small and they have digging claws, not tearing claws. The kittens act a lot like feline kittens, though; they wrestle and jump on each other and startle themselves.

These babies are very interested in the human on the porch; they've come up on the porch to have a better look at me. Not a one of them has stomped or turned u-shaped (skunk warnings), let alone sprayed me. If I'm late putting out their dinner, they appear and give me sad skunk looks.

[Wait Wut]

7. LOL!

You have got to post a pic of the 'sad skunk looks'!!!

[REP]

8. The one who's not face-first in the bowl looks a little sad ...

[IMG][/IMG]

[BlancheSplanchnik]

34. hee hee great butt-shot!

Why are animal butts so damn cute?

[REP]

37. More butt for ya!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

39. Aghhhh!!!

Cuuuuuuute! :faint:

[MiddleFingerMom]

4. I've come face-to-face unexpectedly with skunks in the wild (both times I was very drunk...

.
.
... imagine that!!! Distance about 20 feet. I froze and the skunks went on high alert
for about 30 seconds or so, then relaxed and wandered slowly off about their business.
.
.
They're beautiful animals and you're right, unless threatened they will not spray.
.
.
Hmmpphhh! Like I'm going to waste my good cologne on YOU!!!"

[REP]

6. I come face to face with them, stone sober, about 5 feet away every night

Sometimes closer, when they come on the porch to get a better look. They're pretty friendly creatures. The native people kept them as pets, and when Europeans started showing up, they did, too - they're very good at pest control, and personality-wise, they are similar to cats (but cats are carnivores; skunks are nomnomnomnivores).

[tonekat]

32. Nomnomnomnivors! I'm stealing that!

This is such a good thread, skunks are so pretty.

The ex was leaving a bowl of "critter food" out on her rear deck, mostly to entertain the kitties. I told her she'd have raccoons around. She hasn't filled it in awhile.

Last week I was here and the younger kitty suddenly reacted, to something and then ran downstairs. The tortoiseshell kitty went right up in the adolescent raccoon's face. The sliding glass door was quickly closed to avoid ripped screens and a trip to the emergency vet. The young raccoon was very resourceful, he quickly ran to the side window and got up on the plant stand.

I guess he smelled the pizza we had made that night, when it was cool enough to leave the windows open.

The raccoon hung around for awhile, amusing the tortoiseshell and us until wandering off.

[REP]

35. I stole it from I Fucking Love Science!

[Bertha Venation]

9. WOO HOO!

What great pictures! I wish we had skunks that we could feed on the deck, but, alas, I only smell them from time to time. (And Mrs. Venation wouldn't allow me to feed them. I have no control over myself in such matters . . . I used to put out a smorgasbord for a possum . . . .)

I sent the link to Mrs. V. She's going to love these!

[REP]

38. I'm married to someone who is perhaps nuttier about animals than I am

I think he'd like to have a house deer. He loves the mule deer that visit (and poop everywhere; the skunks are very neat and clean). We got them a mineral salt lick, and as soon as we can find some, we're getting AntlerMax Exotic Deer chow (the formula for mulies). He's always finding lizards and snakes in the yard (and moving them to safety from the other wildlife).

[OhioChick]

10. They're adorable!

One of my dogs tried to befriend one in the backyard once and let's just say that it didn't turn out so well.

[nolabear]

11. I love skunks. But do they have rabies problems in your area?

It can be pretty problematic in some places. Be careful.

[REP]

12. Not in my area

I checked. There's not even a problem with raccoons up here, miraculously. Skunks aren't usually hard hit by rabies; probably because other animals take care to stay away from them.

[In_The_Wind]

13. There was a skunk outside my back door last night.

My nose knows skunks!

[REP]

16. I've always liked the scent of skunk musk (good thing, too!)

I like knowing that when I smell it now, it's from kittens rough housing and getting spooked, not a car-skunk fatality.

[Taverner]

14. You can domesticate skunks, but you need an acre of land or so

Same with Raccoons

[REP]

15. My mom had a pet skunk!

I only have a little over 1/2 acre, but the way these girls act, they may self-domesticate if it means more food

They aren't afraid of me (obviously) and they do come up to me on their own to get a better look (and perhaps check if I have more food - they know I feed them). I'll be happy if we just remain friendly neighbors, but I would love to pet them. Soooooo cute!

[Taverner]

18. If you pet them, you will smell like skunk

Not their fault, but they do like to carry their scent around for other reasons, just like dogs

[REP]

20. Not a big deal; I like the scent

And these girls aren't very "skunky" - at least not yet, though some days it smells like a Heineken tanker overturned in my yard.

If I ever do try to pet them, it'll be on their terms - I'm not afraid of being sprayed; I just don't want to frighten or traumatize these smart, friendly creatures. I like having them around.

[fizzgig]

17. my dad had a skunk for a bit

he leaves cat food out for all comers and a skunk started visiting the porch. i startled him a couple times opening the back door, but s/he never sprayed.

[REP]

19. Spraying wears them out - they'd rather not do it

And they don't like the smell much either - female skunks will spray males when they don't want to mate.

[Phentex]

21. Your pictures are great!

You make skunks look good, lol. The chickens were fabulous, too!

Thank you for sharing these with us!!!

[REP]

22. Skunks are adorable!

Thanks!

[csziggy]

23. Skunks are so cute! Thanks for the pictures

My Mom tells the story that when I was very young (2-4 years old) there were spotted skunks living in a pile of stuff in the field behind our house. I would go out and play with them. When Mom wanted to bring me in, she worried she'd startle them and would softly call me. Unless I wanted to come in, I'd ignore her and continue to play with my furry friends.

When I was in first grade one of the skunks captured itself in a garbage can. Mom called our veterinarian to see if he would descent it so I could have it as a pet - the vet refused because he didn't want the scent in his office. So when Dad got home, he was delegated to tip the can over - with a very long stick - and release the skunk.

Florida spotted skunks are smaller than striped skunks - about the size of a gray squirrel. The common name for the spotted skunk where I grew up was "civet cat." I'm not sure where that came from.

Here is what a Florida spotted skunk looks like:

[REP]

25. Beautiful!

If you're still in Florida, you're in a state that allows pet skunks. Lucky you!

I can't have one as a domestic companion animal in California, but it's fine to have wild friends

[csziggy]

27. I have no idea if they still allow them

It's been well over fifty years since my experience with skunks.

Out of all the wildlife I've seen on our farm here in the last thirty five years, I've never seen a skunk. Otters, alligators, coyotes, foxes (red & gray), birds galore, lizards and snakes - no skunks. It makes me sad.

There could be skunks here and we just haven't seen them since they are nocturnal and shy.

[REP]

29. They do - I checked

You need a permit, but they're legal

[csziggy]

30. Thanks

But I think I will appreciate the skunks in the wild if I ever seen one again.

A few years back the Florida Wildlife Department did an informal survey of skunks. They had no funding so they just put out the word for people to let them know when and where they saw or smelled skunks. The "count" was so great, it alleviated fears that the skunk populations were endangered. Their theory was that skunks are just much better at lurking than anyone had suspected.

[handmade34]

24. great photos

I have skunks; don't see them much... but every morning the yard is dug up --by them looking for grubs and other bugs

[REP]

26. I live on the edge of a redwood forest; I don't have a traditional grass yard

We're in drought half the year, so even if I wanted 1/2 acre plus of grass, I doubt I could afford that much water! These skunks are welcome to root in the ivy and native grasses and other plants - most of the plants I care about the most are in the greenhouse, and the others need protection from slugs and snails

[REP]

31. Morning skunk kick

[BlancheSplanchnik]

33. I miss the skunks

When I was out in the country.

Soooo cute!

[REP]

36. I'm afraid we're getting a reputation in the 'hood

We've got a salt lick in the front yard for deer; a food bowl and water fount on the deck for skunks; we have chickens in the back and the house is full of large, hairy cats.