February is the month for lovers, and it’s no different for our aromatic animal friend, the much maligned skunk. Valentine’s Day is prime mating season for this pretty — and pretty stinky — varmint.
Skunks aren’t hibernators, but they do cuddle up in their dens — either just below the surface of the ground or under buildings, porches, brush or lumber piles — during the harshest winter months. It’s almost as if Cupid hit the males with his arrow, because they start looking around for mate around Valentine’s Day, and will travel up to five miles in search of a mate.
Lustful skunks will sometimes fight and spray one another in competition for females.
Jerry Dragoo, a biologist and skunk expert at the University of New Mexico, told The Globe and Mail, a newspaper in Canada, said stinky fights between male skunks are more likely to occur near the end of the breeding season, which can continue into April, depending on the age of the female.
Striped skunks, one of four types of skunk found in North America, are induced ovulators, which means females have to be stimulated to release their eggs.
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“This stimulation can at times appear violent,” Dragoo said. “If a female chooses not to breed, there can be fighting and sometimes spraying.”
That’s right; females cool to amour — generally, yearlings that were born during the past year — will let the fellow know by spraying him with the powerful musk typically reserved for predators, according to Sciencing.com.
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Young female skunks typically wait until March or April before they accept a mate. And once the deed is done, male skunks are the non-human version of deadbeat dads. They don’t assist in the protection, feeding and rearing of young skunks, and leave that responsibility to the female.
The gestation period for a skunk is 60 to 75 days, meaning that litters of as many as 15 kittens will be born in May or June. Male skunks
But don’t pet the kitty, because they use their anal scent glands as a defensive weapon. Kittens as young as 8 days can emit musk and by the time they’re a month old, they can defend themselves.
Pyew, is that smell ever powerful. It can ward off bears, and skunks deliver the powerful message to stay away with amazing accuracy and hit targets that are up to 15 feet away. Skunks really don’t want to spray. Passive in nature, they hiss, raise their tails and stamp their little feet and only spray if aggressors don’t heed more gentle warnings. Their powerful scent, emitted by twin anal glands, contains seven different chemicals containing sulfur — the chemical responsible for that horrible rotten egg smell.
Related: How To Remove Skunk Smell That Stinks Up Everything
And does that smell ever carry and linger in the air. Human noses can detect it from 3½ miles downwind.
The smell isn’t the only problem. Skunk spray can cause eye irritation or even temporary blindness.
Sniff, Sniff, Make The Smell Go Away
There are several remedies if you or your pet do get sprayed. Among the many purported remedies, one of the most common is a bath of tomato juice, but that’s folklore. Basically, you and your pet will smell like a tomato that was sprayed by a skunk.
Instead, try this home remedy made of items you’ve probably got around the house. In an open container, mix together:
This solution must be used right away and cannot be stored. For pets and people, thoroughly work the mixture into the fur, hair, or skin, avoiding the eyes and mouth, and leave on for five minutes. Then rinse with fresh water and repeat if necessary.
That won’t remove the skunk smell from clothing, and you shouldn’t put it on any clothing you don’t want to bleach, according to Iowa State University Extension Service. Regular laundering and exposure to air will eventually cause the smell to fade, but you’ll probably have tossed it in the garbage can before that, ISU says.
Hazel Christiansen, a professional dog groomer and former president of the Idaho-based American Grooming Shop Association, offers a a few more skunk odor removal tips.
Douse the dog with this potion and allow to soak in for 10 minutes before shampooing:
The total amount you’ll need for this remedy depends on the size of your dog. Thoroughly wet the dog’s coat,work this solution through the fur, allow to soak in for five minutes and then shampoo and rinse thoroughly, taking care to keep the solution out of the dog’s eyes (it will sting):
Or, try this folk remedy that has been passed down through generations of dog owners. Apply it just as you would the vinegar solution; this formula should be enough for a medium-sized dog of 30 to 50 pounds, so adjust it as necessary:
Besides the striped skunk, the other types of skunk found in North America are the hooded skunk, the hog-nosed skunk and the spotted skunk. They are members of the weasel family.
Photo via Shutterstock