Learn fun facts about skunks, including their spraying technique, habitat, diet, and more. Discover the truth behind common skunk myths in this insightful article.Skunks get a bad rap, but behind these adorable animals lies some amazing chemistry and crazy behavior.
Fun Facts About Skunks
Within the group of mammals we find the family Mephitidae, which includes animals known as skunks, skunks and stink badgers . The taxonomy of the group has varied over time and, depending on the source, differences can be found. We were guided for this ExpertAnimal article by that proposed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which classifies the group into four genera
1. SKUNK STRIPES INDICATE THE SPREADING LOCATION
If it looks like a skunk’s stripes point straight to where the venom is coming from, that’s because they do. A 2011 study found that species that choose fight over flight when confronted with a predator often have markings that draw attention to their best weapon. So while a badger has stripes on its face to highlight its sharp teeth, a skunk’s stripes are perfectly positioned to highlight its ability to spray potential threats.
2. SKUNKS PERFORM A LITTLE WARNING DANCE
If the stripes don’t work, the skunk will try to scare off the predator with a complex dance. In an effort to avoid having to spray their scent, which would render them helpless until they “recharge,” skunks will perform a series of maneuvers designed to intimidate: stomping the ground, slapping their tails, and even performing handstands.
3. SKUNKS GOT THEIR SMELLY EFFECT BECAUSE THEY ARE NIGHT PEOPLE
Why have skunks evolved to rely on a pungent secretion for self-defense, while other animals, like meerkats, rely on sheer force of numbers? Skunks are nocturnal and solitary, putting them at greater risk of ground attacks; their ability to spray and stun predators works well in the event of a surprise ambush.
4. SKUNK SPRAY IS POWERFUL
Skunks can shoot their sulfur-smelling defensive secretion up to ten feet from their anal glands. Aside from the foul odor that lingers for days (or even weeks), the spray is highly irritating and can cause temporary blindness in anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the spray. Even if you’re far from the spray, you can still suffer the consequences: Humans can detect the scent up to a mile downwind.
5. AND IT’S ALSO FLAMMABLE
Flammability is a side effect of skunks’ “chemical weapons,” which consist of thiols, sulfur-based compounds also found in garlic and onions.
6. CHEMICALS WILL FIGHT THE SKUNK SMELL
If a skunk has sprayed you (or, more likely, your dog), simple soap and water won’t do the trick. Conventional wisdom suggests that dousing yourself or your pup in tomato juice will get rid of the smell—but all you’re really doing is masking it. To get rid of the smell entirely, you’ll need to change the chemical composition of the thiols, which you can do cheaply and easily with a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
7. SOME PEOPLE CAN’T SMELL SKUNKS AT ALL
And it’s not because they don’t have a sense of smell. Specific anosmia, or insensitivity to a particular odor, is actually more common than general anosmia. One person in a thousand can’t smell a skunk.