tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27675071986575365162023-11-15T10:19:11.102-08:00Skunk Problem # 1Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093014206085088735noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767507198657536516.post-46530995659986446972009-05-17T16:23:00.001-07:002009-05-17T16:23:42.128-07:00Skunk problemsI am having a lot of trouble with a family <br />of skunks as of late.<br />I went to feed the cats<br />and in the garbage barrel where I keep the food was a skunk.<br /><br />Lucky for me I didn't reach in and scoop some food up.<br /><br />Well anyway the skunk ruined that bag of food and the barrel <br /><br />to.<br /><br />Then I fed the Dog in his pen last night and when I walked <br /><br />outside this morning all I could smell was skunk.<br /><br />My pooch came up to greet me and I vacated the premises<br /><br />real fast.<br /><br />Had to give him a bath and then used perfume to combat the <br /><br />odor.<br /><br />I have tried tomato juice and never worked for me,so I<br /><br />use perfume.<br /><br />The only way I have found to irradicate the skunks is by use<br /><br />of a<br /><br />have-a-hart trap.Then you cover the trap with a blanket to<br /><br />keep skunk from <br /><br />spraying you.Haul the creature off to the woods and let them <br /><br />go.<br /><br />You can also shoot them but they will spray all over the place<br /><br />and then you have to dispose of a stinky animal,which is not<br /><br />pleasant.<br /><br />So the best way to keep skunks away is don't leave dog and <br /><br />cat food where they can get <br /><br />to it.<br /><br />Below I have compiled some characteristics of the skunk.<br /><br /> <br /><br />Physical Description <br /><br />Striped skunks are easily recognized by their characteristic <br /><br />colors and pattern. The fur is black with a white stripe that <br /><br />begins as a<br /><br />triangular shape on the top of the head, forks into two stripes <br /><br />that travel down the sides of the back, and usually merges<br /><br />again near the base of the tail. Another white stripe runs <br /><br />from the base of the snout between the eyes and ends on <br /><br />the forehead. Stripe width and length vary with each <br /><br />individual. Stripes sometimes occur on the tail, but more often <br /><br />the tail is composed of both black and white hairs intermixed. <br /><br />Mephitis mephitis is about the size of a domestic cat, with a <br /><br />small head, small ears, short legs, and a long, fluffy tail. <br /><br />Feet are plantigrade with five partially webbed toes. <br /><br />Claws are longer on the front feet to aid in digging. <br /><br />The skull is distinct from other carnivores in having only one <br /><br />molar on each side of the upper jaw and two on each side of <br /><br />the lower jaw. The upper molars have a characteristic square<br /><br />shape.Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093014206085088735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767507198657536516.post-8596419728470911242009-05-17T16:13:00.000-07:002009-05-17T16:16:57.178-07:00ReproductionFemales are monestrous, but they occasionally can have a <br /><br />second estrous if the first pregnancy is unsuccessful. Mating <br /><br />takes place from mid-February until mid-March. The gestation <br /><br />period is between 60 and 77 days, with delayed implantation <br /><br />probably involved. Usually, five or six young are born in each <br /><br />litter. At birth, baby striped skunks are blind, deaf, and extremely<br /><br />immature. They nurse for about a month and a half in the <br /><br />mother's den. Fully weaned, the young then follow the mother<br /><br />about, finally breaking from the family about a year after <br /><br />reaching adult size.<br /><br /><br />Skunk<br /> <br />Behavior<br /> <br />Striped skunks are nocturnal, sleeping during the day in <br /><br />underground burrows and emerging around dusk to search for<br /><br />food. They prefer to use burrows made by other animals of <br /><br />equal size or natural burrows under tree stumps or buildings. <br /><br />They use their long front claws to build their own den if <br /><br />necessary.<br /><br />Both males and females undergo periods of inactivity from <br /><br />November until March. Females often remain in their winter <br /><br />dens for the entire winter, but males usually emerge during <br /><br />mild temperature periods to feed. Winter dens usually consist<br /><br />of six females and their young. One male sometimes<br /><br />occupies a den with females, but usually lives alone in its <br /><br />own den.<br /><br /><br />Baby Skunk<br /> <br />Food Habits<br /> <br />A skunk is a true omnivore, eating a vast assortment<br /><br />of things including insects, small crustation,mammals,birds and <br /><br />eggs, fruits, grasses, <br /><br />leaves, buds, grains, nuts, and carrion. Insects make up <br /><br />approximately 70% of their diet. Striped skunks often attack the<br /><br />nests of colonial insects, such as bees and ants. When<br /><br />attacking a bee hive, they wait for the angry bees to emerge <br /><br />from the hive, then bat them out of the air and eat them. <br /><br />Striped skunks are opportunistic and diet changes depending <br /><br />on the time of year and available resources.Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093014206085088735noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2767507198657536516.post-73331392461949476132009-05-17T16:03:00.000-07:002009-05-17T16:24:57.950-07:00Frankhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05093014206085088735noreply@blogger.com0