Feeding baby skunks

Striped Skunk
Striped Skunk
(Mephitis mephitis)

Distributed from southern Canada to northern Mexico.

Body length 28-38 cm, tail 19-44 cm, weight 0.8-2.5 kg.

Inhabits flat areas with tree plantations, meadows and agricultural lands. The striped skunk is rarely seen more than three kilometers from a water source.

This is a nocturnal animal. During the day, he sleeps in an underground hole and emerges from the shelter only at dusk. Prefers to use the burrows of other animals, or uses natural niches and cavities under tree stumps or buildings. If necessary, it can dig holes itself, using its long front claws. Typically, a striped skunk burrow consists of several chambers and entrances. By autumn, skunks accumulate a solid layer of fat and from November to March fit into the winter sleep. Throughout the cold period, females remain in their dens, and males (during the warming period) leave their nests for feeding. Usually several females with their young gather in such a den. When in danger, the striped skunk first assumes a threatening posture - warningly lifting its tail, turning back to the enemy. If this does not help, then he releases a stream of oily, foul-smelling liquid (butyl mercaptan) from his prianal glands located to the right and left of the anus. Both jets merge into one, and are sprayed with fine rain at a distance of up to 4 meters. If it gets into the eyes, the liquid causes temporary blindness. After a while, tears clear the eyes of butyl mercaptan.

Skunk is an omnivore. 70% of its diet is insects, the rest is small mammals, fish, crustaceans, grass, fruits, grains, nuts and carrion.

The female gives birth to one litter per year. Pregnancy lasts 60-70 days, the strip of which appears from 2 to blind and deaf puppies. At the age of eight days, they can already spray the enemy with a caustic liquid, and at 24 days, when their eyes are opened, they will be able to "shoot" aiming. Puppies begin to leave the nest only after 1.5 months. Lactation lasts up to 2 months and at the same time the cubs begin to go hunting with their mother. Young skunks leave their mother at about one year of age, just after reaching puberty.

Mexican skunk
Hooded Skunk
(Mephitis macroura)

Distributed in the USA (southern Texas, Arizona and New Mexico), Mexico (up to Costa Rica), Guatemala and Nicaragua, Honduras.

The length of adult males reaches 70 cm (of which about 37.7 cm is occupied by the tail, and another 6.9 cm by the hind legs). The length of adult females is 65 cm (37 cm tail, 6 cm hind legs).

Inhabits rocky canyons, near rivers, scrub and grass plains, coastal areas, pine forests, forest edges and pastures. In the mountains it can rise to a height of 2,400 meters above sea level.

Lead a solitary nocturnal lifestyle. With the onset of dusk, they go hunting, and during the day they hide in burrows, in dense vegetation or in rock crevices. Extremely secretive and shy animals. They occupy territories with an area of ​​2.8-5 km ² , however, when meeting with relatives, they do not show aggression. Several animals can even feed next to each other.

This is an insectivorous animal. When searching for insects, it moves slowly. Having obtained a bird's egg, he does not break the shell with his teeth, but throws it on a hard surface until it breaks. In addition to insects, hooded skunks can also eat small rodents.

The breeding season runs from mid-February to the end of March. Pregnancy lasts 59-77 days. Every year the female gives birth to 2-8 cubs. Puberty occurs before one year.

Western Spotted Skunk
Western Spotted Skunk
(Spilogale gracilis)

Distributed in the western part of the USA (Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico, Colorado, Utah, California, Washington, DC)

Length with tail - males 350-581 mm, females 320-470 mm, tail length: males 100-210 mm, females 85-203 mm. Body weight - males 500-900 g, females 200-600 g.

Inhabits rocky areas, prefers steep banks of canyons of fast-flowing rivers overgrown with thorny bushes. Avoid dense forests and wetlands. Often settles in the immediate vicinity of a person.

A good climber, so he can easily get birds and their eggs. It tries to escape from predators on tall trees. Like all skunks, the western anal glands secrete a special secretion of a foul-smelling oily fluid. In most of its range (except in Idaho, where it hibernates during the cold winter months), the western spotted skunk is active all year round. In winter nests, you can count up to twenty animals wintering together (females and their matured cubs). All spotted skunks are agile, good at rock climbing and digging. It leads a nocturnal lifestyle, and during the day it sleeps in a shelter (a rocky cave, a hole in the roots of a tree, in dense thickets or a hollow tree). It occupies old burrows of other animals, sometimes digs burrows itself or settles in the attics of houses.

Pregnancy lasts 28-31 days, however, taking into account the delay, the female gives birth to cubs 210-230 days after conception. In late April - early May, the female gives birth to 2-5 cubs. Newborn puppies weigh 22.5 g. The eyes open at the age of 32 days, and the ability to shoot the secretion of the anal gland appears on the 40-46th day. Lactation lasts up to 50-54 days.

Omnivorous, feeds on birds and their eggs, young rabbits, mice, voles and vegetation (root crops, fruits, berries, grapes, grains), as well as scorpions, grasshoppers and other insects and their larvae.

Eastern Spotted Skunk
Eastern Spotted Skunk
(Spilogale putorius)

Distributed in North America (from northeastern Mexico to the Canadian border of the United States, occurs in the Great Plains, and in the north - up to the state of Pennsylvania) .

Body length 45-60 cm, tail 15-21.5 cm. Weight of males 276-885 g, females 207-475 g.

Inhabits wooded areas and meadows with tall grass.

Terrestrial and nocturnal, active all year round. Likes to climb the rocks of the canyons. This is an excellent climber, when meeting with the enemy, it climbs trees. For rest, the animal arranges a shelter in the hollows of trees, digs a hole in the ground or occupies the hole of another animal. The warning variegated coloration of the skunk is a good defense against predators. A slow (waddling) gait also indicates the fact of its inedibility.

Eastern spotted skunks often come in multiples, but are not as social as the striped skunk. During hibernation in one den there are sometimes up to 8 individuals.

The breeding season lasts from March to April, the second activity is less often observed in July-August (second litter). Pregnancy lasts about 50-65 days, sometimes up to four months, after which 2-9 cubs are born (usually 4-5). Newborn puppies are blind and helpless, weigh 9 g, their body is covered with hair. Eyes open at 30-32 days. Young people know how to shoot with a smelling liquid at 46 days of age. Lactation lasts up to 42-54 days. At the age of three months, young people reach adult size.

Feeds on small mammals and birds. The diet changes seasonally: in winter it feeds on rabbits and corn, in spring - field mice and insects, in summer - insects (most), mice, birds and their eggs, fruits.

Pygmy Spotted Skunk
Pygmy Spotted Skunk
(Spilogale pygmaea)

Distributed in a small area along the Pacific coast of Mexico from Sinaloa to Teguantepec.

Body length 22-28 mm including tail. Weight - 150-320 gr.

Inhabits deciduous tropical forests, shrub low-mountain savannahs, steppes, coastal dunes. Avoids dense forests and swampy lowlands.

Nocturnal and solitary except for a short mating period. Males are very territorial and show aggression when defending the boundaries of their territory from other males, their aggression does not apply to females. Often they travel along the beds of small rivers, they know shallows and fords.

The breeding season for this species of skunk is from April to August, and pups are born from July to August. Pregnancy lasts 6-7 weeks, but sometimes the development of the embryo stops for a short time. The female usually has one heat per year, but she brings litter twice a year, once - rarely. There are 1-6 cubs in a litter.

Feeds on insects, fruits, berries during summer months, and in winter eats small animals, birds and reptiles.

Southern Spotted Skunk
Southern Spotted Skunk
(Spilogale angustifrons)

Distributed in Central and South America: from the central regions of Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Salvador, Nicaragua, Hondua.

Length about 50 cm, tail 11-27 cm. Body weight about 500 g.

Inhabits prairies, scree, avoids dense forests.

This animal is nocturnal, although it can also be found during the day. During daylight hours, it sleeps in shelters: hollows, under fallen tree trunks, under roots, in caves. Often chooses hollows, which are located at a height of 10 m above the ground. Slick, climbs well. Sometimes several individuals gather in one lair. The anal glands are well developed and use them for defense against enemies.

Leads a solitary lifestyle. Pairs are formed only during the breeding season. The breeding season runs from February to March. Pregnancy is about 42 days, but taking into account the delay is about 120 days. The female gives birth to 2-6 blind puppies. Lactation lasts 8 weeks, then young skunks leave the nest.

Feeds on small mammals, lizards, birds, eggs, invertebrates and fruits. Skunks attack venomous snakes, and there is evidence that they are somewhat immune to rattlesnake venom.

Humboldt's Hog-nosed Skunk
(Conepatus humboldtii)

Distributed in South America in the countries of Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. Its habitat is an area overgrown with shrubs, sparse forest, often skunks settle in open forests, and avoid dense forests.

Reaches a length of 30-49 cm, excluding the tail (16-41 cm), has a mass of 2.3-4.5 kg.

Active at night and solitary. The animal occupies a plot of 7-16 hectares. During the day, the skunk sleeps in a rocky cave or burrow. Feeds on plant roots, centipedes, spiders, amphibians, reptiles, small birds, eggs, small mammals, crabs and fruits.

Little is known about the reproduction of this species. After two months of pregnancy, the female gives birth to 2-5 cubs.

Common Hog-nosed Skunk
Common Hog-nosed Skunk
(Conepatus mesoleucus)

Lives in the south of the USA - in the states of Arizona (southwest), Colorado (southeast, Texas), New Mexico south), as well as in Mexico and in a number of Central American countries: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua. Prefers to settle at the foot of the mountains, overgrown with forest and shrubs.

Body length ranges from 33-34 cm, weight is 1. 1-2.7 kg.

Active at night and solitary. During the winter months, it also occurs during the day. During the day, the skunk sleeps in a rocky cave or hole, which serves him for wintering or for the birth of offspring.

Omnivorous, feeds mainly on underground parts of plants and insects (the latter make up 50-82% of the annual diet).

Male and female meet in February and mate. After two months of pregnancy, the female gives birth to 2-5 cubs. This happens in late April - early May. Young weigh 450 g by mid-June, and in August they feed on their own and are independent of the family.

Eastern Hog-nosed Skunk
Eastern Hog-nosed Skunk
(Conepatus leuconotus)

Occurs in southeastern Texas and eastern Mexico. It settles in a wide variety of places - in forests, on grassy plains, in mountainous areas, on coastal lowlands, in tropical thickets.

Its body length is 40-46 cm, tail 20-41 cm, weight 2-4. 5 kg.

Solitary and active at night.

The eastern skunk reproduces in the same way as the common pig-nosed skunk. After a two-month pregnancy, the female brings 2-4 cubs. Males and females reach sexual maturity by 10-12 months. Life expectancy in captivity is 7-8 years, in nature - much less.

Little is known about the diet of the oriental skunk: mostly insects have been found in its stomach. It may also feed on small mammals and fruits.

Pig-nosed skunk Molina
Molina's Hog-nosed Skunk
(Conepatus chinga)

Inhabits central and southern South America. It can be found in the countries of Chile, Peru, in the north of Argentina, in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and also in the south of Brazil. Inhabits open plains and bushes in canyons and steppes.

Its body length is 30-49 cm, tail 16-41 cm, weight 2.3-4.5 kg.

Leads a solitary lifestyle. It is active at night, and during the day it sleeps in a hole, which is most often located in a rocky cave. On cold winter days, the skunk practically does not leave his shelter.

Omnivorous. With the help of powerful claws and a fleshy nose, he breaks the ground and extracts insects and spiders. It also feeds on fruits, snakes, small mammals, and eggs. The diet of the skunk varies depending on the time of year - there are more insects in spring and summer, in winter it finds other food.

The breeding season is in February. The female gives birth in late April - early May, cubs, which she raises alone. Up to 8-10 weeks she feeds them with milk, then they begin to feed on their own.

Striped Hog-nosed Skunk
Striped Hog-nosed Skunk
(Conepatus semistriatus)

Inhabits Mexico and countries of Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Brazil, and Panama Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela. It lives in open forest areas, but does not go into places where the common pig-nosed skunk settles.

Sunda Stink Badger
Sunda Stink Badger
(Mydaus javanensis)

Distributed on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Java and Natuna. It is found in mountainous regions throughout its range, usually at an altitude of 2100 meters, sometimes lower.

The length of his body with the head is 37-51 cm, tail - 50-75 mm, body weight 1.4-3.6 kg.

The stink badger gets its name from its ability to expel a smelly liquid from its anal glands, similar to a skunk. It has a ferocious disposition - when caught, it growls and bites. This is a slow and leisurely moving animal, but if necessary it can run up to 100 meters at a brisk trot. When a threat occurs, it usually bites, and uses the anal glands in exceptional cases. The fluid secreted from these glands causes temporary suffocation, and if it gets into the eyes, blindness.

Active all year round. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. During the day, he sleeps in a hole (up to one and a half to two meters), which he digs himself. The hole ends with a nesting chamber, up to 60 cm in diameter, where the animal rests. The entrance to the hole is masked by branches and various vegetation. In the mountainous regions of Borneo, it often uses natural caves for its dwelling. Sometimes a badger occupies burrows dug and abandoned by porcupines. When feeding, the Sunda stink badger uses its snout to find and dig out worms and insects from the soft soil.

Feeds on worms, insects and caterpillars, carrion and plant food.

Palawan Stink Badger
Palawan Stink Badger
(Mydaus marchei)

Occurs on two Philippine islands, Palawan and Busuanga, in grassy plains and agricultural land.

The length of his body with the head is 32-46 cm, tail - 15-45 mm, body weight 2.5 kg.

Leads a nocturnal lifestyle, and during the day sleeps in a hole that he digs himself. Unlike the Indonesian stink badger, it can also be found during the daytime. Burrows are not deep (less than a meter). When threatened, the badger most often pretends to be dead. In this state, the animal allows itself to be taken in hand. The other form is defensive, releasing a foul-smelling fluid from the anal glands, like a skunk. Of the sense organs, smell and hearing are best developed, vision is weaker.

Feeds on worms, insects, caterpillars, carrion and plant matter.