Striped skunks ( lat. Mephitis ) - a genus of carnivorous mammals of the skunk family, which includes only two species: striped skunk and Mexican skunk.
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Striped skunk ( lat. Mephitis mephitis ) - a small animal of medium size and strong build. The length of his body is 28β38 cm, the length of the tail is usually 17β30 cm (sometimes reaches 43 cm); the mass of an adult animal lies in the range from 1.2 to 5.3 kg. Males are usually 10-15% larger than females. Paws are short, stop-walking, with slightly bent claws. Claws of forepaws long, adapted for digging; hind legs are shorter. The ears are short, with a wide base and rounded tips [1] [2] .
The skunk's fur is tall, very thick, but rough. The tail is long and shaggy. Coloring is a combination of dark (black) and white colors: broad white stripes stand out against the general dark background, starting on the head and extending along the ridge to the tail, which is usually covered with black and white hair mixed. The width and length of the stripes differ for each individual; sometimes there are completely black or, on the contrary, completely white skunks [2] .
Under the tail at the base of the anus , the skunk has special odorous glands that secrete an oily liquid with a disgusting persistent smell, similar to the smell of rotten eggs. In the presence of danger, the skunk sprays it towards the enemy; the wind can carry the smell of this liquid up to 2 km away. The bright contrasting color of the skunk serves as a warning to possible predators [3] .
A skunk has 25 pairs of chromosomes [1] .
Distribution
Striped skunk is common in North America everywhere from southern Canada to northern Mexico . In the United States found in all states except Alaska and Hawaii [1] [4] .
Lifestyle & Nutrition
Skunks inhabit a variety of biotopes - both forests and open spaces, including deserts ; however, they do not avoid human proximity [1] . The highest density of striped skunk was recorded on agricultural land (13 skunks per 259 ha). These are solitary animals; only during hibernation can females form groups of several individuals. Skunks go hunting at dusk or at night. They swim well, but climb trees poorly.
Striped skunks are omnivorous, but up to 70% of their diet is insects . In addition, skunks eat small mammals ( voles , hamsters , rabbits ), eggs of birds and chicks, fish, reptiles and in large quantities plant foods - grass, leaves, buds, fruits, grain and nuts , as well as carrion.
In the fall, skunks eat off and become very fat. In the northern part of the range, they hibernate in the cold season. In late October - early November, the skunk begins to collect material (dry grass and leaves) for the winter nest, and in early December falls into sleep. The skunk's winter refuge is burrows and any dry, secluded places. Usually he occupies the hole of another small animal, less often he digs it out himself. Females usually gather in winter dens in groups of up to 6 individuals with cubs; sometimes one male hibernates with them, but more often males occupy separate shelters. Females and cubs rarely wake up before the end of March, but adult males are active during winter thaws.
A skunk has few natural enemies; only occasionally does he become the prey of a cougar , coyote or dog . If disturbed by a skunk skunk, it never runs away, but as a warning it demonstrates a defensive posture: with a sharp movement, arching its back, raising and fluffing its tail, clattering its teeth loudly. Usually the enemy backs off; if not, then the skunk turns its back on the enemy, throws its tail on its back and, by reducing the sphincter, sprays the secret of the anal glands into it, just hitting the target (usually in the head) from a distance of 2-3 meters. The secret has a repulsive nauseating smell and is extremely eater: getting on the mucous membrane of the eye, causes severe burning sensation and temporary blindness. As a result, the unlucky predator for several hours trying to clean his eyes, nose and mouth, and the nasty smell is kept in his coat for several weeks. The effectiveness of such protection is very high, and predatory mammals rarely hunt skunks. The main enemies of skunks are birds of prey - the Virginian eagle owl ( Bubo virginianus ) and the red-tailed buzzard ( Buteo jamaicensis ) [5] [6] .
Tamed, these animals are characterized by a cheerful, friendly disposition.
Reproduction
Male skunks are polygamous . Females usually have one estrus per year, lasting about 3 days. The mating period occurs at the end of winter - the beginning of spring [6] .
The striped skunk is one of those mammalian species in which the phenomenon of embryonic diapause is observed (delayed implantation of the embryo into the uterine wall). In this regard, the duration of pregnancy can vary from 59 to 77 days (its average duration is 63 days). In the litter from 2 to 10, usually 5-6 cubs [6] [7] .
Newborns are born blind and helpless; their eyes open at the age of 2 weeks. At the age of 4 weeks, the cubs already know how to take a defensive position by raising their tail. Lactation in the female lasts up to 6-7 weeks. Then the young skunks leave the den and follow their mother in search of food. They fall into their first hibernation with their mother. Next year they are already completely independent. Males do not engage in offspring.
In nature, striped skunks live 2-3 years; in captivity - usually up to 5 years. Up to 90% of young skunks do not survive their first winter.
Significance for man
Skunks are of great benefit to agriculture by eating insect pests ( Colorado potato beetle , locust , etc.) and mice .
Sometimes they eat carrots in the fields and ruin chicken coops, but rarely enough. Bees also eat in apiaries .
Skunks present much greater danger as carriers of rabies , carnivorous plague, and tularemia [6] ; this is the reason why skunks are not allowed as pets in many US states.
At one time, striped skunks were bred on fur farms , having previously removed the anal glands, but at present their fur is not in demand. In 1933 - 1939 unsuccessful attempts were made in the USSR to introduce a skunk as a fur-bearing animal - in the Voronezh Reserve , on Petrov Island in the Primorsky Territory , in the Kharkov Region , the Kirghiz and Azerbaijan SSRs , and the Dagestan ASSR . Without delving into the particular biology of the animal, specialists released skunks from fur farms with odorous glands removed into the forests; however, in a short time, all released animals, deprived of the main means of protection, fell a victim of local predators [7] [8] .
According to the testimony of the zoologist P. A. Manteifel , the errors were taken into account, and the next time the skunks were released with unremoved glands. However, large predators quickly destroyed them. Once, in front of his eyes, a bear slammed a skunk with its paw, after which it roared for a long time and rolled on the ground, suffering from a skunk smell. Perhaps the bear remembered this lesson, but it did not help the skunk. .
Skunk Smell
The secret produced by the anal glands of the skunk has an extremely unpleasant smell, including for humans. Removing odors from clothing and items exposed to the secretion of the anal glands can be a serious problem. To remove odor, a mixture has been successfully used, including soap, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda [9] (the mixture should be used immediately after preparation). Thiols , which are part of the secretions of the skunk glands, are insoluble in water or soap; however, soda is a catalyst for the oxidizing abilities of hydrogen peroxide, which oxidizes thiols.
Skunk uses mercaptan , ethyl mercaptan, and other natural compounds as a smelling component [10] .
In the Russian Empire, these animals were called (for their smell) simply stinkers [11] .
Mexican Skunk
Mexican skunk ( Mephitis macroura ) is a relative of the usual skunk. It is also found in the south of the USA - in Arizona , New Mexico and Texas ; inhabits shrubby and grassy plains.
Outwardly, he is very similar to his congener, a striped skunk, but his fur is longer and softer. For the long hair on his neck he is called the βhood skunkβ. There are two types of color of the Mexican skunk. The first, more common: a completely white back, and the lower body, muzzle and legs are black; the second - the whole animal is black, but there are two thin stripes on its sides. The bottom of the tail is often white. Mexican skunk are finer than striped - adult males usually weigh 800β900 g.
The Mexican skunk leads a nocturnal lifestyle, and in the afternoon it is poured in dense vegetation or in a hole. It feeds on insects, small rodents , and plants, among which the majority of them are fruits of prickly pear . The breeding season of Mexican skunks lasts from mid-February to late March. There are usually 3 cubs in the litter.
See also
- Butyl mercaptan (a substance found in the odorous glands of a skunk)
Notes
- β 1 2 3 4 Diversity of mammals, part III, 2004 , p. 689.
- β 1 2 Baker, Carmichael, 2005 , p. 23.
- β Mammalian diversity, part III, 2004 , p. 688.
- β Baker, Carmichael, 2005 , p. 24.
- β Mammalian diversity, part III, 2004 , p. 689-690.
- β 1 2 3 4 Baker, Carmichael, 2005 , p. 25.
- β 1 2 Diversity of mammals, part III, 2004 , p. 690
- β Kolosov A.M., Lavrov N.P. Enrichment of the fishing fauna of the USSR . - M .: Forest industry, 1968. - 256 p. - S. 102-103.
- β Deskunking Dogs, Cats, and Other Pets
- β Organic Chemistry. Connection Classes
- β Stinker, a mammal from the marten family // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
Literature
- Diversity of mammals / O. L. Rossolimo, I. Ya. Pavlinov , S. V. Kruskop, A. A. Lisovsky, N. N. Spasskaya, A. V. Borisenko, A. A. Panyutina. - M .: KMK Publishing House, 2004. - Part III. - 408 p. - (variety of animals). - ISBN 5-87317-098-3 .
- Baker O. E., Carmichael D. B. South Carolina's furbearers . - Columbia (SC): South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries, 2005 .-- 31 p. Archived on June 6, 2016. Archived June 6, 2016 on the Wayback Machine