The skunks that I am going to write about are all found in North America.

These are a few main types of skunk found in North America. They are the Western Spotted Skunk, the Eastern Spotted Skunk , and the Hooded Skunk. These skunks all seem to look alike, but they are all just a little bit different.

The Striped Skunk is almost all black with two wide stripes on its back meeting on the cap of its head and shoulders with a thin white stripe down the center of the face. It has a bushy tail with a white tip of fringe. They are twenty to thirty-one inches long and weighs from six to fourteen pounds.

The Hooded Skunk is a little different . It is usually black except for one or two narrow white stripes widely seperated. Their body is usually twenty-two to thirty-one inches long. The hair on the back of its neck usually forms a ruff.

The Eastern Spotted Skunk is almost a twin of the Western Spotted Skunk. It is black with horizontal white stripes on its neck and shoulders, with irregular vertical stripes and long spots on its side. The Eastern and Western both have white spots on their tail has a white tip. The only difference between the two are in the areas in which they live.

All skunks are mammals. They have sharp teeth and powerful claws. They are boldly colored black and white telling enemies not to bother them and stay away.

Skunks have one thing that they are all known for. They all have anal glands that hold about a tablespoon of an oily yellow musk for five or six jets of spray if attacked. The skunk will face the attacker , raise its tail , chatter its teeth and stomp the ground with its front feet. By then , the attacker usually takes off, but if not, the skunk will twist its back around, "evert the anal nipples", and spray the scent. The mist can carry for up to a mile.

The Stirped Skunk lives in the woodlands, grassy plains and "our" suburbs. That's why we see so many on our roads.

The Hooded Skunk though lives on rocky ledges and likes to be near the vegetation along the streams,ponds and rivers.

Our Eastern and Western Skunks roam in the woodlands and open area. They also can be found on the farmlands and in the scrubs.

Skunks are nocturnal animals, which means they are on the go at night. They are temperamental and very aggressive.

Their long claws come in handy for digging and clawing for their food, some of which is in the ground. They eat rodents, insects, turtle eggs, bees best , mice nests, and vegetation. In season they also eat cherries, blackberries, and other fruits.

Skunks will hibernate in the winter. They will usually den in a burrow that some other animal has used. They also will use a hollow log or crevice under a house or building.

Most of us see skunks only in books or flattened on some road and think that the only thing a skunk does is stink. But skunks are useful to all of us in that they help consume insects and mice and rodents which are unhealthy and carry disease.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alfred A .Knoph "National Audubon Society Field Guide To North America Mammals" 1996

Leslie Dendy "Tracks,Scats , and Sign" 1995

Stanley Leinwoll "The Book of Pets" 1980

"Book of Knowledge" 1968