Skunks

Godzillawolf · **Posted:** Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:18 pm

Alright, skunks are my favorite animals and I know they have a bad rap but they're not really that bad. Here are some skunk myths I'll clear up, if you have more, post them. Sorry if some of these things seem obvious but I know there are some younger users on the site who wouldn't know these things.

Myth: Skunks are dirty animals.

Truth: Skunks are actuelly very clean animals and spend a lot of time grooming themselves.

Myth: Skunks stink bad all the time.

Truth: This is one everyone probably knows, skunks only stink when they spray though they might have a slight musky smell but this isn't very noticable unless you're close to one, which is the least of your problems at that point.

Myth: Skunks spray everything in sight

Truth: Skunks can spray only about 4 or 5 times at once, and they rarely spray unless they have no choice.

Myth: Skunk spray is their urine. (gross one, I know)

Truth: Skunk spray is musk from two glands in their rear end which they can spray accurately up to about 12 feet.

Myth: Skunks spray their musk on their tail tips and fling it.

Truth: Skunks spray from their musk glands and would never perposely get their spray on themselves, it stinks as bad to them as it does to us.

I might post more later, if you have any or any questions about skunks, feel free to post them, no matter how stupid you think they are, I'd never flame anyone.

Pirate480 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:04 pm

Very good.My dad's dog Sadie got sprayed by them quite a few times.

Godzillawolf · **Posted:** Fri Oct 17, 2008 4:44 am

Joker wrote:

Very good.My dad's dog Sadie got sprayed by them quite a few times.

I feel sorry for you. Dog's tend to want to try to chase things they consider intruders off and if its a skunk, they're likely going to be sprayed, why they don't learn I don't know, dogs are smart. What do you use to get rid of the smell? Tomato juice?

Gold Wolf · **Posted:** Fri Oct 17, 2008 4:52 am

To get the smell of skunk spray off of you,I think one must take eighty baths.

Pirate480 · **Posted:** Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:13 am

Godzillawolf wrote:

Joker wrote:

Very good.My dad's dog Sadie got sprayed by them quite a few times.

I feel sorry for you. Dog's tend to want to try to chase things they consider intruders off and if its a skunk, they're likely going to be sprayed, why they don't learn I don't know, dogs are smart. What do you use to get rid of the smell? Tomato juice?

I don't really know what was used sinced I wasn't there,but she's kind of a weird dog,she eats flies and bees,eats her food inn the middle of a door frame,She even tried to eat a Smoke fountain firework!It was actually funny. :lol:

Dee · **Posted:** Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:16 am

you don't tend to see skunks in england luckily if we did poppy would smell even worse :lol:

and just a question but what breed is your dog joker?

Godzillawolf · **Posted:** Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:21 pm

Foxy Jenna wrote:

To get the smell of skunk spray off of you,I think one must take eighty baths.

Alright, I'm not being insulting, and I realize in all likely hood you're joking, that doesn't work. Here's another fact this lets me say.

Myth: Skunk spray can be removed with bathing.

Truth: Skunkspray actuelly smells worse when wet, the bonding compounds in it are uneffected by water and the scent causing compounds in it are made more active when exposed to water, also with dogs all this will do is add the wet dog smell to it, which no one likes.

Godzillawolf · **Posted:** Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:58 pm

JerseyCaptain wrote:

Godzillawolf wrote:

Myth: Skunks stink bad all the time.

Truth: This is one everyone probably knows, skunks only stink when they spray.

Well since mustelids, like the skunks (to which they are remotely related), have musk glands, I will draw a comparison to a domestic mustelid to refute this. Ferrets produce a very unpleasant chemical musk like that. Those glands are removed from them (in certain countries, such as the U.S.) in order for them to be sold as pets. And yet, when you go into a pet shop and get within range of a ferret enclosure, it is utterly impossible not to smell that musk. And skunks have a much stronger musk than ferrets do.

Skunks, on the other hand, are wild animals which always have their musk glands. Now, some are kept in zoos and some are even de-scented and sold as pets (usually hand-raised kits)...where de-scenting is legal (like in the U.S.). I doubt very much that the animals don't have even a slight presence of musky odor upon them all the time.

Perhaps, if you could quote your sources (reliable ones), your statements could be backed up.

Well let me first say, with most mustelids that is true but Skunk's musk glands devolped for the reason of protection, while Ferrets and such mainly use it for territory marking, thus why you could smell it in the enclosure, they've marked it as their territory, they're descented so they don't mark up your house with scent marking. While I can't give you a link, I would have to do a lot of searching, many pet skunk sites have this information.

Gold Wolf · **Posted:** Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:08 pm

Then you should add what I wrote down,as a skunk myth,and not fact.

Godzillawolf · **Posted:** Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:30 pm

I couldn't find a site, though if you've encountered a skunk yourself, wouldn't you smell them before you see them? I've seen skunks before but I didn't smell them. I'll edit my post Foxy. Alright, more myths and facts. I found this one on Project Wildlife's site.

Myth: Skunks are pests.

Truth: Skunks may be pests if you're consitently getting sprayed but 70% of a skunk's diet is made up of insects considered harmful to humans.

Myth: Wild Skunks should always be removed from your premise if you have pets.

Truth: Wild Skunks are really only a problem with dogs. Its not uncomman for pet cats and wild skunks to be seen peacefully feeding out of the same food bowl.

Myth: Skunks need to be removed from dens by you.

Truth: It is actuelly quite easy to discourge skunks from staying in your yard or under your house, just put some mothballs in their burrow once they've left to forage, skunks hate the smell of mothballs and should leave.

Godzillawolf · **Posted:** Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:05 pm

I am well aware of the warning sighs, also another neat fact is that Spotted Skunks do a handstand before spraying. What time of the year did you come close to the skunk you smelled? Yes that is importent as male skunks will spray each other during mating season, the only time they use their musk on other skunks. I'll also accept that skunks might have a slight odor during this time, not nearly as bad or strong as their actuel smell.

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