Talk:Skunk

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Contents 1 Polecat redirect? 2 Concrete? 3 Skunk advice! 4 Which family? 5 Metrics 6 Location 7 Reduced Page 8 British spelling/standards 9 The smell 10 Family vs. Sub-Family 11 Why Skunks 12 Removing the Smell 12.1 Section on removing the smell 13 no seleno compounds 14 product 15 Rewriting skunk control 16 Vandalism 17 New Wikiproject 18 Request Anonymous edit block 19 Eating skunks 20 Behavior clarification 21 Precautions against skunks in Reproduction? 22 Scent removal 23 Coloring

[edit] Polecat redirect?

Could someone get rid of that redirect? Skunks, to my knowledge, have never been referred to as "polecats" by anyone in the world. The only animals named polecat that I know of are European species of weasels, such as the European polecat, mink and ferret. 71.241.117.14 (talk) 10:40, 9 December 2007 (UTC)

I think that's out of date. While Polecat does lead to a disambiguation page that includes skunk amongst its synonyms, it does not redirect directly to this page. So you were right to remove the reference to 'Polecat Redirects here', as it doesn't. Anaxial (talk) 10:53, 9 December 2007 (UTC)

I have, on a number of occasions, heard skunks referred to as polecats. Though it is certainly not a choice term, it receives enough use to be acknowledged (in Canada at least). Here's a source attesting to its arguable appellation: http://eduscapes.com/nature/skunk/index1.htm AlecEspie (talk) 01:10, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Concrete?

I was told skunks can not spray when they are present on concrete (or other hard surfaces) because they must dig their claws into something in order to spray. --Tara (Nov, 2007)

While they may, perhaps, like to dig their claws in while spraying (and I'm not even sure about that), they certainly don't need to. So I'm afraid that being on concrete won't help.Anaxial (talk) 08:05, 18 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Skunk advice!

Any suggestions on how to discourage skunks from coming into our yard? Our dog has been blasted twice in the last month right outside our back door. I've been told there are chemicals that you can spray on the ground that they will avoid, but those bother sogs (and kids) too. ---Russ (Sept 29, 2006)

[edit] Which family?

My friend has a book that says that skunks are in the Musteline family, but my other friend says that they're in no family. I'm confused. -Amy

Of COURSE they have a family. From what I know, they're in the weasel family. Dora Nichov 13:53, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

they really stink really bad so I say they come from the skunk family

All members of the weasel family stink, silly! And skunks are part of the weasel family, though recently some have "invented" a new family -- indeed, the skunk family. But none of my books use that classification though. Dora Nichov 13:43, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

For new visitors, the "invented" new family Mephitidae appears to be widely, though not entirely accepted now. This is a recent development, so Dora Nichov's books may be out-of-date, or draw from out-of-date sources. See below for more on this topic. Also note that Wikispecies lists Skunks under Mephitidae, though that doesn't have any references, so it doesn't have much weight. -kotra 00:12, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Metrics

I have a question : Which are the primary measures, because 4,5 kg are 10 pounds not 9,92 (2 significant digits)Chris CII 20:34, 31 May 2006 (UTC)

It's gotten even more stupid now. The article now lists contradictory weights: 4.5kg and 18lbs. 4.5kg is in fact 9.92lbs. The conversion factor is approximately 2.2. I would correct the article if only I knew which of the two weights is correct! — NRen2k5 11:40, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

Also 37 in. are about 94 cm, not 70... 82.135.91.35 (talk) 09:13, 8 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Location

Do Skunks live anywhere else except the Americas?

No, no skunks anywhere except the Americas. They are believed to be related to the Asian stink badger, however. There's a skunk-like animal in Africa called the Zorilla, but it's not a skunk either. -- metamatic 20040719T222800Z

No. 211.72.108.19 00:37, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Reduced Page

Ok, why ON EARTH would this page have been reduced so much? It used to be much better. Like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Skunk&oldid=2768565. Seems almost like a bad joke.

It was vandalism which has since been corrected. RickK | Talk 05:54, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Ha! That was fast! :)

[edit] British spelling/standards

I made some small changes to this page with regard to "nipples" that another editor insisted that a skunk used to spray - I have since removed this reference, noting that it was absurd.

However, I do find this article draws all over the place and needs some serious consideration. The addition of British spelling and use of the metric system to describe distance and length is also unwieldy - NOT A BASH ON THE BRITISH, simply not the Wikipedia standard.

If I have time in the coming weeks I will try to re-hash this article into something more fluid, as well as fact-check some of the statements for accuracy.

Any help would also be appreciated.

As per Wikipedia manual of style, metric values are the standard for scientific articles, such as articles about the biology of skunks. What word would you suggest for the skunk's 'anal nipples'? Google searches [1] suggest that's the phrase usually used to describe them. Metamatic 23:35, 13 January 2006 (UTC)

No reason not to use both, as long as the use is consistent. For the current version of the article as I write this, some work needs to be done to that end. For example, the introductory paragraph uses imperial measures followed by metrics in parenthesis, while the Abal Scent Gland section uses metrics followed by imperials in parenthesis... then the Behaviour section uses metric only. — NRen2k5 11:48, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] The smell

To rid a pet of the smell of a poop. The method, though sounding dubious, works. If your cat or dog, or you are sprayed, you can hold the pet or yourself in a cloud of smoke, from a campfire or grassfire. I can assume someone thought this cruel or dangerous. I believe the ions in the smoke negate the chemical in the same way the peroxide bath does. My source is personal experience, in Morgan, Vermont, about 10 years ago, with a very smelly dog. Dave Baker, in Vermont.

• Ewww... If you are camping, that may be your only alternative, but if not.. See Article, I added the right chemicals there: Peroxide and Baking soda applied carefully as described here[2] Renmiri 00:12, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Family vs. Sub-Family

Is it now widely accepted that skunks comprise their own Family, separate from Mustelidae? I've seen Mephitidae listed as a Sub-Family on other sites, and I was wondering who, if anyone, has the final say in such matters in the scientific community.

As far as I can tell, Mephitidae as a separate family from Mustelidae is widely, although not entirely, accepted in the scientific community. Since this is a recent change (within the past 10 years), lots of websites still draw from older sources that list skunks in Mustelidae.

I don't know who has the final say in the scientific community, but here are some websites explaining this position: [3] [4] --kotra 23:16, 27 December 2005 (UTC)

by the way, the most-cited resource about this topic seems to be this: Dragoo, J., R. Honeycutt. 1997. Systematics of mustelid-like carnivores. Journal of Mammalogy, 78/2: 426-443. In case anybody wants to research further. --kotra 23:20, 27 December 2005 (UTC)

I checked on the Taxonomicon and couldn't find Mephitidae in any of the schemes there, only Mephitinae as a subfamily of Mustelidae. GCarty 13:15, 11 January 2006 (UTC)

That website's most recent source pertaining to animals was 1998, so maybe the new classification wasn't as widely accepted at that time. Taxonomy is a constantly changing field, so I'd imagine it's sometimes difficult to get a consensus on the proper classification. But I really don't know which classification of skunks is "correct". If an expert in biology/taxonomy could help clear up this issue (or let us know what the most authorative source is), that would be great. --kotra 03:25, 12 January 2006 (UTC)

The person who is most likely the world's leading expert on skunk biology is Dr Jerry Dragoo of the University of New Mexico. His web site is http://www.dragoo.org/ and has an article about the basis for the taxonomy and references. Google for his name and you'll find a number of articles about his stinky career. Metamatic 23:42, 13 January 2006 (UTC)

Thank you. As you may have noticed, I linked to his website earlier. I think it would be best to find more than one person however, preferably some kind of official organization that oversees taxonomy standards. Is there such a thing? -kotra 09:39, 14 January 2006 (UTC)

No, there isn't, unfortunately. The closest you can get is probably MSW3, and even that is two years out of date now. I've added it as a reference, since it is the most up-to-date source there is, and its unlikely this is going to be overturned any time soon.Anaxial 14:46, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

I thought skunks were mustelids...61.230.78.55 08:47, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

So did most people. Turns out they were wrong: weasels, otters, badgers, etc. (that is, true Mustelidae) are more closely related to raccoons and their relatives (Procyonidae) than they are to skunks. Since we generally insist that lifeforms be classified with their closest relatives, skunks had to be removed from Mustelidae and given their own family.N. Pharris 09:09, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Why Skunks

What is the skunks purpose? Are they simply a smelly nuisance animal?

What is the horse's purpose? Or the dog's? Or the human's, for that matter?jfg284 23:00, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

I think he means, what its ecological niche is

Yeah, an animal has to have a niche if Nature made it. Skunks control pests like insects and rodents. (And also teach predators a smelly lesson).61.230.78.55 08:38, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

They also happen to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables (in fact, if you own one as a pet they usually recommend you feed it mostly fruits and veggies, since skunks raised in captivity don't burn off so many calories or fat. Especially true if you have one as a pet in a warm climate where there's no cold, like my family does). They seem to really like rodents and insects, though. Ours attacked our baby guinea pig once! o.O And we also have a bearded dragon that we feed live insects to, and once in a while, they escape - and usually the skunk gets 'em (he's really cute when he pounces on a cricket. Not so much when he's pouncing on a fellow pet). Is it noted anywhere that skunks won't attack fully-grown ferrets? Because we noticed that with our pets. He stomps at her to keep her from bothering him, but hasn't ever tried to eat her in the least. He seems to think of her as an annoying little sister. I've heard they're related, though, so maybe that's it?

Something interesting - I've once or twice heard our skunk to also growl. Not very frequently (he obviously prefers stomping and huffing and hissing and attempting to spray. And wobbling his butt around), and only around the ferrets, but he's done it before. Runa27 23:01, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

Skunks don't "eat" anything as big as a ferret, though they will spray predators that don't heed their warnings. Yes, they are related to ferrets. And they do eat rodents. 211.72.108.18 00:36, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Removing the Smell

What the hell is up with tomato juice ? It has been proven that washing with tomate juice will let you get rid of the Smell... thats a fact. anybody telling other is stupid or a lier. I don't know if it breaks up that stuff, but it definately will remove the smell from you. And im not telling this because i have seen it on Mythbusters or Jackass... its something everybody know, and everybody who has tried it confirmed... --87.165.161.247 23:13, 23 June 2006 (UTC)

• It doesn't work on my dogs....

My German Sheppard gets skunked 2-3 times every summer so I have lots of practice deskunking her and the house :( Tomato Juice will remove most of the smell but not all and it is very time consuming, as you have to bath the dog on it several times to get good results. I use the peroxide / baking soda mix and it removes all the smell in 15 minutes!

Perhaps TJ would be a good choice for the dog's face around the eyes as the perxide is too harsh for that area. Oh, and for some thin furred dogs and fussy owners... My Border Collie's fur gets "bleached" when I deskunk him w/ peroxide, but I prefer a dog with blondish / reddish patches than a smelly dog! Renmiri 11:10, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

I had a feisty chihuahua that got herself skunked no less than three times over a year, and found tomato juice to be absolutely worthless. 69.85.180.70 02:40, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Section on removing the smell

Removed from article:

Tomato juice, vinegar and other folk remedies do not break up the thiol compounds and therefore only mask the skunk spray smell. In industry, alkaline hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is used for scrubbing thiol and similar compounds from waste. On vehicles and household items oxygenating products like Oxyclean may be used to break up the thiol compounds but they are too harsh to be used on pets. To deskunk a dog or other pet you can use the deskunking mix described by the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (also mentioned here) but be aware that it can not be applied to the pet's eyes and other sensitive tissue. Also, skunks can carry rabies so your skunked pet should probably get a visit to his vet soon. Detailed instructions on how to apply the mix described above can be found here.

A section on removing the smell is a good idea, but this is a how-to, not an encyclopedically written and formatted section. -- Ec5618 15:19, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

How about fixing it instead of just removing it ? Renmiri 16:46, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

I'm happy to see you've taken an interest, and have committed to fixing the section. Cheers. -- Ec5618 17:32, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

It will be hard, if not impossible for me to do it. I'm the author of the one you rejected. That was my best effort... Can you give it a try since you disliked mine so much as to erase it ? Renmiri 17:32, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

It's difficult without turning part of the article into a how-to guide, especially considering that it seems there is no single solution. The malodourous secretion is quite sticky, and will stick to or be absorbed into clothing, skin and many plastics. There is no single, simple solution for all these applications. Remember the discussion just above, in which an editor claims quite vehemently that tomato juice works.

I have added a brief blurb, mentioning several home remedies, and a conclusion to show that the most effective seems to be the peroxide mix. -- Ec5618 20:32, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

Looks great, thanks! Renmiri 05:38, 30 June 2006 (UTC)

I know you all want a solution to skunk odor and I would like to offer on that I have found to really work as recently as 9/9/06 on my 10 month Akita who unfortunately had just has a bath that morning. He was sprayed head on and was hit in the face, ears, chest, neck and front legs. We rinsed off as much of the spray as would come off with water, then wetted him down with OdorXit Concentrate diluted 1 part concentrate to 20 or so parts water. In about 20 minutes there was no detectable smell. The next morning, some of the smell returned so we treated only in the areas that smelled. Next day, no smell. exring 00:35, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

I have moved this section to Wikibooks since it does not look like it would be easy to edit so as not to provide any advice - and removing all advice would rather defeat the point of the section, anyway. The information is all still there, and there's a link to the new page at the bottom of this one. Anaxial (talk) 19:08, 2 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] no seleno compounds

The seleno compound are not mentioned in the peer reviewed paper I added to the artikle and it deals with all four types of skunk (Hooded, Ftriped, Spotted and Hog-nosed). So I will change it to thio!--sorry was not logd in--Stone 12:23, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] product

There is one product on the market that with very little work or material will neutralize the odor produced by skunks without bleaching the hair of the animal. It is called OdorXit Concentrate. It is safe, effective, and available mostly on the internet. The stuff really works.67.96.12.41 04:23, 14 September 2006 (UTC)Martin Meyer–— moved by --Stone 06:42, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

All for the low, low, price of $10.00!! Hurry while supplies last!!! (sorry, it just sounded so much like an ad) -kotra 20:13, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Rewriting skunk control

Here's my proposed rewrite, to eliminate the "second person" problem and improve the style. Remaining problems: (1) it's unclear, at least to me, what is meant by a "hardware cloth door." (2) The phrase "that 1/4 inches" is meaningless. Perhaps the original author of this section can enlighten us.

Dynzmoar 12:51, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

Skunk Control

The following measures are appropriate, whether or not a skunk is present. Removing piles of junk or wood eliminates den areas, and fences sunk one to two feet beneath the ground inhibits migration of skunks under houses. Removal of scraps of food and the storage of garbage in tightly sealed cans makes the area less attractive to skunks, as well as to bears. Spraying lawns and the ground around the foundation of the house with insecticides elminates 'delicious insects'.

When a skunk is present beneath a building, it can be repelled by dropping bags filled with mothballs or washcloths drenched with ammonia into the area. The bags must be tied to a secure rope for easy removal later on. To detect the skunk's movements, flour (or another harmless white powder) can be sprinkled around the den entrance. Daily observation may show fresh footprints from the skunk leading out, but not going back in. It is better to check in the morning, as the skunks will be more likely to leave at night.

After a skunk has left, all possible entry points should be blocked up. If it is uncertain whether all skunks have been eliminated, a hardware cloth door can be installed on the den entrance. The door should be hinged at the top and extend beyond the entrance and outward at the base at a right angle for about 6 inches. This allows skunks to exit the den but not to reenter.

[edit] Vandalism

Noticed the page had been vandalized at 2040 PST. Reverted to a previous version. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.181.225.66 (talk) 04:44, 5 January 2007 (UTC).

[edit] New Wikiproject

I wanted to make a wikiproject about ferrets and weasels but it became to small a range so i have made a bigger wikiprojects including all animals in the Musteloidea super family which include both ferrets and weasels and much similar animals. Support would be appreceated.

This new wikiproject includes Skunks

you can find it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Council/Proposals#Weasels

i also made a little template for the project,

This article is within the scope of the Weasel WikiProject, a collaborative effort to improve Wikipedia's coverage of articles relating to Ferrets, Weasels, and other Weasel like friends. If you would like to participate, you can visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks.

I hope you like it.

This wikiproject is for the superfamily of Musteloidea which currently and surprisingly does not have an article yet. This superfamily includes ferrets and weasels and all of our other furry little weasel like friends. Please put your name on it so this article could have it's very own wikiproject outside of wikiproject animals.

Teh Ferret 19:56, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

Just a tip: According to current thinking, Musteloidea also includes red pandas and raccoons and their relatives, in addition to skunks and "ferrets and weasels and all of our other furry little weasel like friends".N. Pharris 09:09, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Request Anonymous edit block

I have restored this article now atleast 3 times in 30 minutes... Gunnaraztek 14:59, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Eating skunks

Can you eat a skunk? Or is there record of this occurring somewhere? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.112.26.170 (talk) 02:08, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't see why not, though it might not be very appetizing, nor might a skunk have very much meat on it. And it is probably not worth the trouble to hunt/trap skunk considering the risk of getting... well... skunked. But no, the meat is not poisonous. — NRen2k5 12:38, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Behavior clarification

The first paragraph of the Behavior section of the article says skunks are crepuscular. The third paragraph implies they are nocturnal. Which is it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by CharleyCross (talk • contribs) 00:00, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Precautions against skunks in Reproduction?

Why does it talk about problems with skunks in the Reproduction section?

I was going to edit it but the scent removal section is also messed up...

Hexadecimist16 (talk) 04:13, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Any better now? (Although I'm not sure how much of this even belongs here, since Wikipedia is not a how-to manual. Anaxial (talk) 17:05, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Scent removal

some people like skunks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Thylacinus cynocephalus (talk • contribs) 21:40, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

Spam. What has the message to do with the title? Oh, And I like skunks. They need more love. 85.146.98.166 (talk) 16:08, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Coloring

What is the origin or purpose of the black-and-white coloring? Is there any relationship with a zebra's coloring? Badagnani (talk) 05:10, 17 March 2008 (UTC)