04-07-2008 05:57:01

Thursday, March 13, 2008

“You got yer dead skunk in the
middle of the road, dead skunk in
the middle of the road; You got
yer dead skunk in the middle of
the road, stinkin’ to high heaven.”

    Those lyrics to the song by
Loudon Wainwright III tend to
speak the truth this time of the
year. With the warmer weather
during the day, skunks are finding
their way out of the winter
dens.
    A dead skunk by the side of the
road in North Vassalboro last
Sunday is witness to that rite of
spring.
    Skunks are placid, retiring and
non-aggressive. They try very
hard not to get in harm’s way.
I’ve had several encounters with
skunks and have been able to
“talk my way” out of trouble.
Speaking the them in a soft, calm
yet firm voice will convince them
that you, also, mean no harm.

“Crossin’ the highway late last
night
He shoulda looked left, and he
shoulda looked right;
He didn’t see the station wagon
car,
The skunk got squashed and
there you are.”

    Skunks eat mostly insects,
many of which are pests to
humans. Therefore, they are very
beneficial to have around. They
also eat some plant material,
including wild fruits, apples and
corn. In winter and spring, they
may eat mice and the eggs of
ground-nesting birds. In the summer,
they find inground bee hives
to be a delicacy.
    Breeding usually occurs in late
winter or early spring and gestation
averages about 60-75 days,
so babies are usually born in May
or June. Second litters and late
births do occur. After mating, a
female can store the male’s sperm
and delay initiating pregnancy
for some weeks. Litters range
from three to as many as 10
young who remain in the nest for
about two months, after which
they begin to follow their mom as
she forages.
    Skunks are able to dig their
own burrows but will also use
abandoned dens of other animals,
hollow logs, wood or rock piles,
under buildings, stone walls, hay
or brush piles and trees or
stumps.

“Take a whiff on me, that ain’t
no rose,
Roll up yer window and hold
your nose.
You don’t have to look and you
don’t have to see,
‘Cause you can feel it in your
olfactory.”

    The skunk’s main defense is a
complex chemical substances
that include sulfuric acid that can
be fired from either one of two
independently targetable anal
glands. Because of this ability,
skunks will stand and face a
threat rather than run away. This
works well with people and animals
but is useless against cars.
As a result, many skunks die on
roadways. They just can’t seem
to win that battle.
    Skunks generally will give you
ample warning before unloading
its odoriferous defense system.
Each year, many skunks are
killed because someone is afraid
of getting sprayed. Those who
are familiar with skunks know
that it takes a lot to get sprayed.
Hopefully, through education,
people will begin to recognize
and understand the role that these
mild animals have to play and the
benefits of tolerating their presence.
    Skunks can carry rabies, but it
is important to remember that not
every skunk is rabid. Only if an
adult skunk seen in the daytime is
showing abnormal behaviors
such as paralysis, unprovoked
aggression, moving in circles, or
self-mutilation should you call
your animal control officer or
police department.

“Yeah, you got your dead cat
and you got yer dead dog,
On a moonlight night you got
yer dead toad frog;
Got yer dead rabbit and yer
dead racoon,
The blood and guts they’re
gonna make you swoon.”