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Identify
Nuisance Wildlife
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Skunks
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Description
& Habitat
There
are three types of Skunks found in our area:
Striped Skunk -
has long black fur with two
variable broad white stripes
down the back. The white
stripe on the top of its head forks into two separate stripes that run
along its back. The head is triangular; the tail large
and bushy. The striped
skunk is more commonly seen.
Spotted
skunk and is about the size of the
average house cat, with the spotted skunk being about half the size.
One is black with white stripes and one is black with white spots; both
have bushy tails and are strictly nocturnal. The spotted skunk
is black with many white spots, and has a triangular white mark on
its forehead. 
Hog Nose Skunk -
A fairly large skunk, the hog-nosed skunk is dark brown to black with a
single broad stripe running from the top of its head to the base of its
tail. Its tail is mostly white with a few black hairs. Like other
skunks, the hog-nosed skunk defends itself by shooting a sulphuric spray
called mercaptan. The hog-nosed skunk can spray up to 15 feet and hit its
target accurately. Its spray not only carries a terrible odor but, if it
hits the eyes, will blind the skunk's target for up to two days.
Although
generally nomadic, a lazy well fed skunk may stake out his territory and
it may be your yard! Skunks
will choose dark, quiet places to sleep in the daytime and forage for food
at night. Being scavengers, their diet includes fruit, berries, eggs,
rodents, scorpions, black widow spiders, dog and cat food and grubs. The strong musk
characteristic of skunks is expelled from two
scent glands near the base of
the tail. The
skunk prefers the desert,
woodlands, grassy plains and suburbs.
It lives throughout
the interior and southern tier
of Canadian provinces and all
of the United States.
Disease
Rabies - is an acute, fatal
encephalomyelitis caused by neurotropic
viruses. It is almost always
transmitted by an animal bite
that
innoculates the virus
into wounds. Any skunk bite or
scratch should receive prompt
local treatment by thorough cleansing of the wound
with
copious amounts of soap and
water; this local treatment
will significantly reduce the
risk of rabies. Anyone who may have been exposed to
rabies should be advised to
always contact local health
authorities immediately for
advice about postexposure
prophylaxis and should also
contact their personal
physician as soon as possible.
Distemper
- is one of the more common and serious
diseases. Distemper is a
contagious, incurable, often fatal,
multisystemic viral disease
that affects the respiratory,
gastrointestinal, and central
nervous systems. It is possible for humans to
contract an asymptomatic (subclinical)
CDV infection. Anyone who’s
been immunized against measles
(a related virus) is protected
against CDV as well.
Leptospirosis
- A serious, infectious
bacterial disease which can
affect skunks. In skunks the
infection may be subclinical,
however when it is transmitted
to other incidental hosts
(species such as humans and
cats) the infection is much
more severe and results in
clinical signs. Acute
infections cause a very high
body temperature (up to 40o
C or 104o F )
shivering and painful muscles,
followed by vomiting,
dehydration and shock. Less
acute cases develop
respiratory and kidney
infection.
For
more information on these
diseases contact:
The
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention
at 800-311-3435
or e-mail them at:
http://www.cdc.gov/netinfo.htm
Damage
Skunks
become a problem when their
activities conflict with human
interests. When skunks take
shelter under homes, decks, or
in garages, their presence is
not usually tolerated by
occupants of the building.
All skunks have the ability to
discharge a nauseating musk
from their anal glands. They
are capable of spraying their
musk several times with
accuracy to about 10 feet.
Confrontation with pets often
results in the pet being sprayed or bitten.
Skunks can
also cause severe damage to
gardens and lawns by their
digging activities. While
searching for grubs and other
subsoil insects, skunks
frequently uproot turf and
other plants. This damage
consists of small pits ranging
from 3 to 5 inches across, or sometimes large sections
of
sod are rolled back.
Damage
Control
Skunks
visit homes for the same
reasons as raccoons, for food.
They are
opportunistic feeders and will
turn over turf
in search of
grubs and worms. A good
exclusion program for
structures and infested areas
should prevent most problems
of skunks taking up residence
under a building. Trapping
is
the most effective removal
procedure.
ADC
Solutions
Do you
have a skunk living under your
house?
If you encounter a skunk, do
not disturb it, or go near it,
they may spray you with an
offensive odor, or they may
attack you if infected by the
rabies virus. Skunks are one
of the primary carriers of the
rabies virus. An ADC
wildlife professional will remove the skunks that are
living under or in your home/business with cage traps, and then
close off the entrances.
Once the skunks are out, it is
very important that the building
perimeter be sealed to prevent
re-infestation. Skunks
cannot be relocated under
state law.
For expert advice and solutions
to nuisance wildlife problems,
Call
Us Now!
Office:
303-884-9100
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