Laura Dean Bennett
Staff Writer
If you’ve noticed the scent of a skunk more than usual or have seen more of the little darlings lately, you’re not alone.
There’s a good reason for it.
Pocahontas County Extension Agent Greg Hamons said that February and March are skunk mating season in Pocahontas County.
He first prefaced his skunk comments with a disclaimer.
“I’m definitely not a skunk expert,” Hamons said.
“However, I do know there are two species of skunks known to be in West Virginia – the Eastern Spotted Skunk and the Striped Skunk.
“I’ve personally never seen an Eastern Spotted Skunk.
“Striped Skunks are much more prevalent, at least in our area,” he explained.
“You may encounter more skunks this time of year because it’s mating season, and they’re out in hopes of finding a potential mate.”
Skunks are nocturnal, and even during mating season, it’s rare to see one during the day – except at dawn or dusk.
The two most common species of skunks – the Striped and the Spotted – are easily identified.
The Striped Skunk is mostly black with white on top of the head and neck and extending down the back, usually separating into two white stripes. Striped Skunks are about the size of a housecat.
The second most common skunk is the Spotted Skunk, which ranges from the southeastern U.S. to the northwestern Midwest and slightly west of the Mississippi River. Spotted Skunks are smaller than their striped cousins. They are solid black with white spots or short white streaks.
Skunk habitat includes pastures, brushy fields and the edges of woods. They are found in both rural and urban areas, making their dens in thick brush piles, abandoned groundhog holes, hollowed logs or, unfortunately, sometimes under porches or sheds where they can get into trouble with humans or their pets.
During the mating season, which can extend from mid-January through the end of March in some parts of North America, male skunks range far and wide, sometimes for several miles, searching for mates.
They mate with more than one female and retain their bachelorhood rather than forming a family unit.
Female skunks produce one litter a year, between late April and early June. They give birth to an average of four to seven blind and helpless babies called kits. Their eyes don’t open until they’re about three weeks old.
Fortunately, skunks, which have notoriously poor eyesight, are born with an excellent sense of smell.
Their scent glands are not fully developed at birth, so newborn skunks usually can’t spray until they are about two months old.
Like their parents, they do not use their potent musky spray except as a last resort.
Skunks are excellent climbers and, if they are able, will retreat from danger by climbing a tree. Their only real defense mechanism is the pungent spray which they eject from their anal glands.
The noxious spray contains sulfur-based organic compounds called thiols, which have a scent reminiscent of rotten eggs. The smell can be nauseating and burn an animal’s eyes.
Skunks spray when frightened, attacked or injured.
A female skunk will also spray a hapless suitor to reject his advances. The spray that she uses in sending this message is less potent than the spray she uses to target a predator.
Male skunks may spray each other when they are competing for a female.
Interestingly, the Spotted Skunk species has developed an acrobatic maneuver to further indicate that they mean business.
They give one final warning – an impressive handstand – before spraying.
By late fall, the skunk kits are usually ready to leave their mother, search out their own individual territories and begin life as a solitary adult.
Skunks are omnivorous, meaning they will eat just about anything. But they especially favor insects, earthworms and grubs, mush- rooms, small amphibians or reptiles, birds, fish and even small mammals. They also enjoy fruits, nuts and bird seed, when available.
They get into trouble with humans because they are drawn to cat or dog food when it’s available, too.
We also do not appreciate them using their long claws to dig for worms, grubs and insect larvae in our yards or gardens.
Learning to recognize skunks’ defensive behavior may save you from becoming a skunk spraying victim.
Skunks have poor eyesight and should be approached slowly – always watching for signs of agitation.
If one spray doesn’t deter a predator, a skunk can spray up to five or six times, and its spray can reach 10 to 15 feet.
Skunks are particularly curious and may sometimes come around human habitation to investigate pets, domesticated animal behavior or human activity.
Except during mating season, the reason a skunk will come to your yard is food.
To minimize the chances of an unfortunate encounter of the odiferous kind, check your yard for visual or olfactory evidence of a skunk before letting your dog out.
During mating season, it may be wise to take dogs out on a leash and use outdoor lighting or a flashlight to scout ahead of where you’re walking.
Because skunks can be carriers of rabies, a skunk which is obviously ill or exhibiting abnormal behavior should be avoided and local law enforcement or animal control authorities should be notified.
Indications of rabies or other neurological diseases in skunks (or other mammals, for that matter) include unprovoked aggression, excess salivation, disorientation, impaired movement, paralysis or lack of coordination, strange vocalizations and unusually friendly behavior.
Dogs are notorious for getting “skunked,” and not just during skunk mating season.
Always keep a deodorizing soaking solution or the ingredients for one close at hand.
I grew up with the “soaking the dog with tomato juice method” and it usually does a fair job. Even better is something like Nature’s Miracle Skunk Odor Remover.
But there’s a simple homemade solution which can really take the stink out.
If you or your dog have an unfortunate close encounter of the skunky kind, you’ll be thankful that you’ve kept the ingredients for this recipe on hand. I keep the recipe taped on the inside of a laundry room cabinet door and the ingredients in that same cabinet.
Skunk Odor Eliminator
1 quart hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp. dish detergent (like Dawn)
When ready to use, mix all ingredients. Sponge onto the affected area (avoid getting it into eyes) and let dry. Do not rinse. One or two applications should do the trick.
If you want to shampoo your dog, wait two hours after applying the de-skunk mixture.
Do not use on clothes; it may cause fading.
Don’t despair, skunk mating season will be over soon. Then you’ll just have the usual, and relatively small chance of getting skunked.
And try to remember how lucky we are to live in a part of the world where we are surrounded by such a variety of fascinating and beautiful wildlife.
