All About Skunks – Funny Things in 15 Photos and 5 Videos
Skunks are amazing animals in all possible ways. They are North and South American mammals, but in last few decades, skunks are becoming pets. Although capable of living indoors with humans similarly to cats or dogs, pet skunks are relatively rare, partly due to restrictive laws and the complexity of their care. Pet skunks are mainly kept in the United States, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Italy.
In the United States, pet skunks can be purchased from licensed animal shelters, non-profit skunk educational organizations such as the American Domestic Skunk Association, Inc., or breeders with a permit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Baby skunk availability peaks during springtime, immediately following the skunk mating season. Some large fur farms sell surplus skunks to pet stores.
Skunks are probably best known for their ability to spray foul-smelling fluid as a defense against predators. Most wild skunks spray only when injured or attacked, as a defense mechanism. The mercaptan-emitting scent glands are usually removed in pet skunks at about four weeks of age. Since 2006, this removal practice has been illegal in the UK. (Source: Wikipedia)
After all this, if you still want skunk as a pet, and if you meet all the necessary legal standards, and you have all the necessary prerequisites to adopt one of these beauties, then you can continue reading the article and fulfill your desire with hope. All others (like me) can only satisfy desire by watching these lovely images and videos. Enjoy 🙂
1. Cute and adorable
Have you ever thought about your favorite pet in the future? It is enough to look in the photo how cute this creature is and all the prejudices one have will disappear in a second.
2. Smells Like a Hell
Yes, we all know about the stories that skunks smell like a disaster, but do you really believe that is the only characteristic of these interesting animals?
3. Love Them and They Will Return
Once you see the other side of skunks, you will become in love with these fantastic looking black and white colored fur. If you touch them one time, your desire for touching will never end.
4. Time to Go Out
It is absolutely true skunks are very thankful pets. You can even take them for a walk like a dog, they will not mind that at all. Beside that, if they are domesticated, they can live much longer. Having a nice and comfortable life will prolong their life cycle up to 10 years, while in the wildness, they can survive 3 years in average or longest up to 7 years.
5. Hello Mom, I am Hungry
If you take them with you while they are still very young, get ready to be their mom. For the first 24 days they don't see anything as their eyes are closed. After that time, they will run to catch both you and a small bottle with food. It is so cute to watch them eat, but an even bigger pleasure to feed them yourself.
6. Your Time Is Precious, But They Are As Well
Be aware you need to play with young babies, as they are looking for attention all the time.
7. I Will Bite You, I Will, I Will…
But, be careful, young skunks might hurt you with their tiny and sharp teeth while you play with them.
8. Young Warriors In the Action
They also get angry sometimes and this is when they take a position like real fighters. Don't you think they look funny like this?
9. Just Like a Kitty
If you are not in a mood to feed them by yourselves, even a cat can be a good mother for a skunk. Just put it beside young kitties and they will be perfectly happy and full-fed.
10. Cats Are Great Friends
Little baby skunks can play with other pets in your home, as they are really social. They really like cats, maybe these are their favorite friends in urban areas.
11. The Social Side is Important
However, at the time they spend in the forests, they play with other animals as well. Sweet fawn can be an extremely interesting friend to young skunks in the nature. We can mostly find skunks in America, as 8 species of 10 live there, while 2 species live in Indonesia.
12. Where I am Supposed to Hide?
Their shelter in the forest can be some hollow trunk and babies are totally on the responsibility of their mother. Babies are called kits, their mother is a doe, while their dad is called a buck. But, bucks are not so interested to grow their children, so during the mating time they will rather look for other free ladies in surrounding. This is a bit unfair, but is a pure truth. Mating is usually in February, and after 7-12 Sunday female brings to the world is usually up to 3 cubs.
13. Small Body and Big Heart
Some kits are even brave to play with little young leopards. I bet some people would not dare to do this, but young skunks know they are adorable for everyone in the forest.
14. Do You Remember Our Favorite Cartoon?
What about grown skunks? Well, many years ago skunk became very popular thanks to amazing cartoon of Pepe Le Paw. All older generations loved this capricious thug, but even children from nowadays could pay some attention to it, despite the fact they like different things now.
15. Don't Make Them Angry
In fact, skunks are very friendly animals and their way of defending is to spray the enemy, but only when they feel threatened. This yellow oily foam comes out from two glands near their anus. But, they will never attack in normal conditions and they will warn you first by turning its back to you and lifting its tail up. When you see this, get ready for the trouble. Their spray is called musk and they have enough of it to spray you 5-8 times. If you are in the circle of 15 feet, you might be in a great danger to stink after that.
16. Oh, That Stinks
Once you have been sprayed, the bad odor called Mephitis might last for a few days, even weeks. It is not easy to get rid of it. But, this is the only way how skunks can survive and get rid of the enemies. They don't see very well, but on the other side, they have a very good sense of smell and excellent hearing. It is interesting they can survive even a snake bite.
17. Enjoy the Party With Young Friends
Even when they are big, they like to play. Small puppies can make their day shorter if they play together. Like some other animals, skunks can transmit rabies.
18. The Best Meal Ever
If you have a skunk for a pet, there is no need to worry about food, as they are not too finicky. They are omnivores, so they eat both plants and animals. Skunks like to eat fruit, worms, rodents, insects and other small animals. But, if we speak about their favorite food, that is definitely honey bee and it is said they are even keen to attack a beehive in the nature to reach this delicious food.
19. Running Around? No Way!
For the skunks it is typical they can run up to 10 miles per hour, which is equal to 16 km. But, if you give them all the comfort of your home, most of them will stay there and enjoy your generosity.
20. Flowers – Who Doesn't Like It?
If you let them in your garden, you will also find out they really like the flowers. Actually, they adore it, just look over the photo and you will get the point how cute they are even when they grow up.
Image sources:
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