Did You Know? Wildlife

Photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar / Foter / CC BY-ND

Pepé le Pew’s misguided amorous animated misadventures make skunks seem comical. But when your dog or children get sprayed, you won’t be laughing.

Skunks can be found across the United States. Here are a few facts about “polecats:”

• A skunk’s spray is an oily liquid produced by glands under its large tail.
• Skunks have poor to fair senses of hearing and smelling. They also tend
• to be somewhat clumsy runners due to stocky front legs.
• Skunks can be carriers of rabies if they eat or are bitten by an infected animal. Skunk spray does not carry rabies.
• Skunks are not all bad; they like to eat the garden bugs and slugs that damage crops.
• Skunks can grow anywhere between 16-in. and 27-in. in length and generally weigh from 1–6 lbs.
• Skunks can spray up to 13-23 ft. in a favorable wind-although they are usually only accurate for up to about 6.5 ft.

Source: bbwildliferemoval.com