Nature Net News
February 2008
Skunks!
"What kills a skunk is the publicity
it gives itself."
Abraham Lincoln
|
Dear Reader,
There's something alluring about
our striped friend. Maybe it's the stark contrast of dramatic white
stripes against lush black fur, or the majestic 'pouf' of its upright
tail. Skunks might be one of the most misunderstood creatures of our
late winter landscape. |
The yellow oil skunks secrete as defense is unpleasant to our noses because of chemical compounds called thiols? And just to be sure we stay away, skunks mix in another compound, thioacetate, which once it breaks down, turns into...thiol - that's why the stink can really stick around! Find out more from the New Scientist.
What to Do This Month:
Watch for skunks on mild mid-winter days as they are not true hibernators.
Read Aldo Leopold's January Thaw and follow the tracks of a skunk through the snow.
Pick up a Winter Nature Passport and enjoy a winter thaw for yourself.
Mark your calendar for an April 26th celebration of the Earth in Madison, Green Day.
Tricks of the Trail for Parents:
Wash That Smell Right Out of Your...
Practical advice abounds on how to rid yourself, your kid or pet of skunk odor. Some bathe in tomato juice, others recommend washing with a mixture of 1 quart peroxide (3%), 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 teaspoon liquid soap. Wash again with soap and rinse clean. This method gets right down to the science of those thiols, oxidizing them to an odorless sulfonic acid - read more about Krebaum's skunk odor eliminator.
Instant Outdoor Expert:
The Skinny on Skunks
Though historically listed as a subfamily of the weasel family, recent genetic evidence shows skunks to be less closely related to weasels than originally thought. They now enjoy the reclassified status of their own family, Mephitidae (if you must know the Latin). Speaking of Latin, it's not surprising the genus name for the most common skunk, Mephitis, is Latin for "bad odor". (Quick refresher: Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.) Wisconsin's skunk species, the commonly seen striped skunk and the less common spotted skunk, are both famous for their well-developed scent glands (which, incidentally, all carnivores have - just without such skilled ability to use them). The pair of glands, grape-like in shape in size, are filled with enough oil to last 5-6 sprays and take about ten days to replenish. The thiol compounds that make skunk spray so smelly are created when proteins break down - think rotting flesh or feces - and are detectable to the human nose at a mere two parts per million.
Due in part to their near-sightedness and lumbering waddle, skunks are most often prey to cars, the only known natural predator being the olfactory-deficient great horned owl. They are also infamous rabies carriers though they represent less than a third of all reported cases. February and March are typically skunk mating season and expectant mothers looking for a den may choose to inhabit other animals' burrows, rock crevices, brush piles or a space under your building. If you have a skunk for a neighbor, there are several suggested methods to deter the skunk from staying. Find out more from UW Extension's Skunks: How to Deal With Them.
You can also find more general information about skunks from Dragoo Institute for the Betterment of Skunks, or the National Wildlife Magazine article "Living with Skunks".
Eco-Exercise:
Waddling Wander
Aldo Leopold writes about following the trail made by a skunk's belly in the snow. Skunks and other mammals like raccoon, porcupine or bear, leave waddling tracks through the winter landscape. Have your youngster imitate our stripey friend, by waddling to and fro, moving their front and back "legs" in tandem - first the left side, then the right. How far can your little one go, shifting their weight from side to side as they lumber along? Check out the skunk tracks they've made - do they look different from the squirrel tracks you might see in the snow? How are they different from dog tracks?
Featured Nature Net Site
Nature Craft
MacKenzie Center
The
MacKenzie Environmental Education Center is one of the most complete environmental education centers in
Wisconsin. Situated on 280 acres of rolling fields and forest land, MacKenzie is a wonderful
place for family outings and out of the classroom adventures. The Center features an
exhibit of live Wisconsin wildlife, self-guided hikes and trails, museums, a fire tower, a picnic area and more.
The seven self-guiding trails (two are handicapped accessible), include themes
such as Ecology, Nature, Wildlife, Conifers and Hardwood management.
There's also an actual mill, just like many early
Wisconsinites used when lumbering was the main industry of Wisconsin.
Whether on your own,
with your family and friends, or as an organized group, come enjoy and learn
about resource management in Wisconsin.
Wildlife Exhibits and Museums open year around and the Grounds are open
dawn to dusk year-round except during deer gun season.
Hours:mid-October through April 30) Open M-F 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
(closed on winter holidays)
Summer (May 1 through mid-October) Open daily 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Skunk Suit
Who says costumes are only for October? Mid-winter
days are perfect for skunking around - for real skunks and kid-skunks
alike.
Start by cutting a large oval of white faux
fur and sewing it on the front of a black, hooded sweatshirt. Next, cut a long strip of white
faux fur and sew it, starting at the hood, down the
back of the sweatshirt to the bottom. Make two ears by cutting four ear shapes from black faux fur and sewing
each pair together. Then, sew both ears to the hood on either side of the
white stripe.
To make the tail, cut a rectangle with a rounded end, from the black
faux fur and a matching one from the white. Sew the two together,
leaving the flat ends open. Stuff with fiberfill (or recycled packing
peanuts), then sew the
ends shut. Sew the flat end of the tail to the bottom rear of the
sweatshirt. If you want your tail to stand up, sew nylon thread through the top of the
tail and attach it to the back of the sweatshirt.
For finishing touches, use face paint to color your child's nose black and draw whiskers --
and you're ready to waddle through the snow, skunk style!
)
Suggested Reading:
"Skunk's Spring Surprise" by Leslea Newman (age 2-6)
"Skunks!" by David T. Greenberg (age 2-8)
"Curious George Goes Camping" by H. A. Rey (age 4-8)
"Sassafras" by Audrey Penn (age 4-8)
"There's a Skunk in My Bunk: Helping Children Learn Tolerance" by Joseph T.
McCann (age 4-8)
"One Smart Skunk" by Harriet Ziefert (age 4-9)
"The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk" by Thornton W. Burgess (age 4-8)
"Skunks Do More Than Stink!" by D.M. Souza (age 6-10)
"Summer of the Skunks" by Wilmoth Marshall Foreman (age 9-12)
