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Skunk Superpowers

When that tail goes up, back away! Ability to ward off monster and demons!

Fascinating Facts
Striped skunk curled in dry grass.
  • Skunk spray, which comes from two glands near the base of the skunk’s tail, can hit a target 12 feet away.
  • If threatened, skunks stamp their front feet, lift their tail, and growl. Some species of skunk even spring into a handstand before spraying, which puts the skunk’s warning markings on full display.
  • They Often Aim for the Eyes. Their spray contains sulfur-based thiols that not only create an overwhelming stench but also cause significant eye irritation, potentially even causing temporary blindness for several minutes.
  • They can fire a concentrated stream to neutralize an approaching threat, for example, or release a mist to engulf a pursuing predator.
  • Since the substance is both time-consuming to make and potentially life-saving to have on hand, they often try to fend off minor threats in other ways before spraying.
  • Skunk spray is highly flammable.
  • Tomato Juice Won’t Get Rid of the Smell.
  • About 1 in 1,000 People Can’t Smell Skunks.
  • Skunks are most active at night.
  •  Skunks Eat Bees
  • Their favorite foods include fruit and plants, plus insects, bird eggs, small rodents, and birds.
  • Birds like the great horned owl prey on skunks. Scientists believe it’s because the birds don’t have a very good sense of smell, which makes the skunk’s spray useless in an attack.
  • Skunks spend most of their time alone but will get together for warmth in dens or breeding.
  • Skunks do not have great eyesight, struggling to see objects just 3 metres (10 feet) away. They make up for this with powerful hearing and a strong sense of smell.
  • Skunks get into garbage cans and compost bins. They eat pet food and will raid a vegetable garden.
  • You may think that skunks spray each other during confrontations, perhaps while competing for a mate. However, this behavior has not been observed in the wild yet.
  • Skunks are immune to snake venom. It would require ten times the venom that would kill a similarly sized creature for it to actually be fatal.
  •  Although striped skunks do not hibernate, they are less active in the winter.
Why They Are Important to the Planet
  • Striped skunks are an important source of insect control.
  • …the clinging quality of their musk has made it valuable as a perfume foundation.
  • Skunks also hunt a wide variety of other species, including snakes and rodents.
  • Since skunks are less likely to get rabies than other carnivores like raccoons, they pose a minimal threat to people and pets.
  • Skunks are also scavengers. They will seek out animal carcasses, which helps keep an ecosystem free of carrion.
  • True omnivores, skunks will also seek out fruits and berries in their environment and spread the seeds after digestion across an ecosystem.
  • When skunks dig for insects like grubs, they pull up soil and aerate it – a process many people pay for their lawns once a year. Their feces contributes back to the soil, and helps facilitate the nutrient cycle in ecosystems.
  • Just like Flower in Bambi, skunks may stick their snoots into flowers and other plants, or even brush up against them and help in the process of pollination and plant reproduction!
Why We Should Love These Animals
Two baby skunks on a log.
Mother skunk with three kits in grass.
Striped skunk in grassy field.
Striped skunk in grassy field.

 “The occasional whiff of skunk spray reconnects us to the incredible importance of smell in the lives of other animals,” he says. “It reminds us that skunks are out there, even when we don’t see them, and that we all share the same world.” Ohio State University biologist Stan Gehrt

The skunk is a symbol of self-respect.The skunk is nonchalant; it struts around without a care in the world.

Skunk has asserted itself in the world, confident. The skunk has no need for violence and aggression. It can live a playful and carefree life because it is assertive and has self-respect.

The skunk is peaceful yet steps aside for no creature.

Videos and Resources

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Resources

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