The world of wildlife is amazingly beautiful and unusual. You can find many beautiful animals in it. One of them is a skunk. This animal is a small predatory mammal. The skunk's gait is very unusual. To take a step, he first arches his back, the tail takes him to the side and makes a small jump, that is, the movement is skipped.
Where does a skunk live? It can be found in zoos, but quite rarely. After all, employees and visitors would have to wear protective masks. A skunks defensive reaction involves the release of a highly odorous substance. Familiarity with this animal is best carried out in its natural conditions and at a sufficient distance.
Close relatives of skunks - ferrets, badgers, martens.
Description
A lot of mammals use odorous substances, but it was skunks who were able to turn it into a powerful and effective weapon for their own protection.
Under the tail of the animal there are two glands along which a liquid is released with a strong unpleasant odor. In the air, the jet breaks up into small drops.
Such a “shot” can reach the target at a distance of four meters. So the animal can do up to five times. Then it takes some time to make up.
The animal looks attractive. The body is strong, the legs are short with large claws. Males are usually larger than females.
Where does the Mexican skunk live, a funny representative of the animal world? This question is asked by many, learning about the existence of the animal.
Skunk spray fluid composition
Nature endowed skunks with such a feature as smell protection. The main active substance of the liquid is ethyl mercaptan, butyl mercaptan and other natural compounds that are present in secretions of many mammals.
No matter where the skunk lives, the result is the same. All representatives of this species have a special “aroma” and persistence. If the animal’s liquid got on something, then even after lengthy treatments and airing, the smell does not go away and after a few months.
This protection allows the animal to feel fearless and proud no matter what its size. Skunk does not run away, because this is not necessary.
Habitat
Where does a skunk live? On which continent? The homeland of the skunk is North America. They feed on insects, frogs, mice, lizards, ravage bird nests, do not disdain carrion, and, which is uncharacteristic for predators, they like berries and fruits. They explore the area a lot and play. Densely populated areas are places where the skunk lives. He loves visiting backyards and garbage bins.
The banks of water bodies is the place where the skunk lives. The mainland is large, but animals do not like to be too far from a watering hole. But in the United States, there aren’t places where the skunk lives. He does not live in Alaska and Hawaii.
This unusual animal prefers not to rise above 1800 meters above sea level. But some nevertheless climb into the mountains, to a height of up to 4000 meters. They prefer to exist in forests and meadows, next to people. Most of all they like shrubs, rocky slopes and fringes near the rivers. Before hibernating, skunks prepare their homes by collecting dry leaves and grass.
For an overnight stay, choose dry and inconspicuous places. Often the animal chooses a hole that someone else dug earlier. Males hibernate separately, and females - with cubs.
These animals destroy rodents, harmful insects. Nice and attractive. Often people keep skunks at home with odorous glands removed. Alas, they are subject to rabies.
In Italy, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and the USA, this animal is often kept at home, so we can say that Europe is another place where the skunk lives. In some places, these animals are protected by law, they are forbidden to sell. In places where their purchase is allowed, skunks remove odorous glands.
Types of Skunks
There are more than one type of skunks. Their color is the same, but each has distinctive features. Kinds:
1. Striped skunk. Weight up to 5.3 kg.
2. Spotted skunk. Dwarf species, weight up to 1 kg.
3. Pig-skunk. The largest view. It is known that it can reach nine kilograms.
4. Smelly skunk.
Each of them has such an unusual remedy as a smell.
Striped skunk
This species is easy to distinguish. He has wide white stripes on a black back, from head to tip of a fluffy tail. By weight it can reach 5.3 kg. Over the summer, the animal accumulates a layer of fat and, from November to March, goes into the ground burrows in hibernation. Nightlife. Before the attack, he makes a threatening pose and only after he releases a stream. In case of contact with eyes, fluid causes temporary blindness. The smell is hard to remove.
These animals have a gentle nature and playfulness, for which they are appreciated.
Skunk Skunk Locations
Skunk is an omnivorous animal. Plain areas with tree plantations, meadows and farmland - these are places where the striped skunk lives. As a rule, animals choose sites located no further than three kilometers from the water. The mating season is from February to March.
Sociable females, often live in a common hole. Pregnancy lasts up to 77 days. In the litter there are from 2 to 10 blind and deaf puppies. After 8 days, they can be sprayed with liquid for protection.
Small skunks leave their mothers around the age of a year after puberty. Males are polygamous, so they can mate with several females. They do not participate in the care and care of offspring. In captivity they can live up to 10 years, in vivo - less.
The main reason for the death of skunks is all sorts of diseases, including rabies. Often animals die on the freeways, as they are slow and have poor eyesight. Despite the powerful defense, they are attacked by large predators, and the animals do not always manage to survive.
The place where the striped skunk lives is mainland America.
Nutrition
A skunk is not capable of fishing or large prey, therefore it feeds on small rodents, frogs, etc. The animal is capable of attacking the helpless hare. The rest of the menu depends on the season. In warm time, eats fruits, berries, seeds, vegetation.
The predator hunts mainly at night. Skunk's eyesight is poor, so he uses hearing and smell to hunt.
The animal rolls some prey on the ground, but not just like that, but to eliminate the poisonous peel or remove the spiky villi. No matter what the skunk catches, he eats it right away. Do not mind skunks and enjoy honey, wading into the hive, they eat all the contents, including honeycombs and bees.
A bee sting poses no threat to them, because thick hair provides protection from bites. Only the muzzle can suffer.
Home Content
If you keep a skunk at home, you should adhere to nutritional recommendations. Food should be non-sharp, unsalted, savory, non-greasy. Half of the diet should be vegetables and fruits. Boiled chicken, egg or fish are suitable for replenishing proteins. Rice, millet and other cereals should be constantly in the diet. Skunks consume only natural products. The farm brings a lot of benefits, as they eliminate rodents and dangerous insects.
As already written, America is the place where the skunk lives. The photos clearly show how the animals look, showing the distinctive features of the species. In Russia, back in Soviet times, they tried to acclimatize the animal, but the attempts were unsuccessful.
Skunks are amazing little animals that live in the wild. They are endowed with special protection and attractive appearance, as well as excellent character.