Almost everyone on Earth knows what skunks are and more importantly what they’ll do. Skunks are famous for secreting an incredibly foul, nasty secretion from their backs when threatened, and there is almost nothing on Earth that could be done to eliminate that smell.
Many unlucky people and many unlucky dogs and cats have undergone a skunk only to return away smelling worse than a sewer. That’s bad enough, but are skunks really dangerous?
No, skunks aren’t particularly dangerous, although their foul-smelling anal discharge could cause temporary blindness if it hits the eyes. In extremely rare cases, skunks may bite if cornered.
Overall, the worst thing it is advisable worry about when coping with a skunk is spraying, and so long as you’ll be able to avoid this unlucky end result, you may be superb.
Skunks would definitely prefer to avoid people and trouble in the event that they can. You can learn more about these beautiful yet anxiety-inducing mammals here.
Understanding Skunk Behavior
Skunks are small, mostly solitary mammals, rarely weighing greater than 15 to twenty kilos.
North American striped skunks are easily identified by their charismatic and immediately recognizable black fur with two body-length white stripes on either side extending down the tail.
Skunks are likely to be solitary, with males roaming a small home range that typically doesn’t exceed six or seven square miles, and females with even smaller ranges.
Most lively at dawn or dusk, but occasionally at night and sometimes seen throughout the day, skunks roam seeking food and burrowing sites.
Skunks are powerful and capable diggers, moving quickly through the soil using their front claws.
When the seasons get colder, skunks turn into months, and while they do not go into true hibernation, they only come out of this winter solitude sometimes.
Females live together in winter, while males mostly nest alone.
Skunks have excellent hearing and sense of smell, but their eyesight is stereotypically terrible: skunks rarely see details from greater than 10 feet away.
This is certainly one of the the reason why skunks are so often killed in traffic.
In nature, skunks move around, not afraid of anything around them. This is because they’ve some beneficial predators which can be devoted enough to take them alive after being sprayed!
Skunks aren’t afraid of dogs, coyotes, wolves or foxes, although they’re all very rarely hunted. The only consistent predators of skunks are horned owls.
This is particularly worrisome when you are in an area with skunks, as more often than not they show no real fear of humans.
They may avoid you in the event that they know you are there, but it surely’s not unusual to see skunks roaming the yard or approaching your property.
This can easily set the stage for somebody or a pet to get sprayed!
Are skunks aggressive towards humans?
NO. Skunks generally avoid individuals who get too close, but their poor eyesight, coupled with their almost complete lack of predators, make them move all over the world almost carefree.
A skunk that’s overtly aggressive towards humans could have a head injury and even rabies.
Have skunks ever attacked humans?
Yes. Attacks on humans are quite common when you consider their anal spray an attack.
While it rarely, if ever, causes everlasting damage that does not occur as a secondary effect of a panic retreat, it could possibly cause real harm if it gets within the eyes of an individual or animal.
More serious injuries from bites are extremely rare, as skunks typically avoid biting unless they don’t have any other alternative.
How do skunks attack?
On defense, skunks will lead with their spray. Most of the time, pre-spray skunks will engage in elaborate displays of threat, normally consisting of growling, hissing, stamping their forelegs, and lifting their tails straight up.
Almost every animal on earth knows the right way to avoid skunks, and those who don’t, or those which can be brave or silly, will soon discover why.
If its defensive display is not enough to ward off a possible predator, the skunk will turn around, take aim, and fire a twig that has a spread of about 10 feet.
Perhaps most surprisingly, skunks have incredible accuracy with this spray and can easily hit what they’re aiming at.
Particularly worrisome, skunk spray can be highly flammable, so handle your fire pit if you’ve got the misfortune of spilling water while out within the wild.
If a skunk runs out of spray, which will likely be barely enough for five to 6 bursts, and is cornered or caught, it could resort to biting.
What causes skunk aggression?
Skunks are generally not aggressive. However, like most animals, if cornered, caught, or if the young are in imminent danger, they may defend themselves.
As detailed above, skunks prefer spraying as their fundamental defense but can and can bite or scratch in the event that they don’t have any other options.
Do skunks eat people?
No, probably not. Skunks are omnivorous and eat a typical weight loss plan consisting mainly of insects, insect larvae, worms, small reptiles and amphibians, birds and bird eggs. They complement this weight loss plan with plant matter, mushrooms, berries and nuts.
That said, skunks often act as scavengers, eating flesh from corpses, including mammals, and breaking into garbage cans or pet food containers around human habitation.
A skunk would never attack you with the intention of eating you, irrespective of how hungry it was, but when something happened to you and also you died, it isn’t out of the query that a skunk might eat your flesh, or at the least eat a few of it: they’re very small.
Are skunks territorial?
NO. Skunks aren’t particularly territorial, especially in terms of larger animals.
How strong is Skunk?
Skunks have powerful and well-developed front legs and robust jaws. That being said, their physical strength will not be what makes them a threat to humans.
A mature skunk can bite you pretty nasty, but outside of the spray, it poses very minimal physical threat.
What must you do when you see a skunk?
If you see a skunk, get as far-off from it as possible if you desire to avoid being sprayed.
It needs to be remembered that skunks have such poor eyesight that it is feasible that something may startle them they usually may spray themselves reflexively.
Even when you’re not the goal, if any of the aerosol’s volatile compounds missed within the wind and drifted your way, you would possibly get an additional dose!
What must you do when you are attacked by a skunk?
A skunk that’s genuinely aggressive towards humans could be very rare, except an indignant individual. More on that in a moment.
But as mentioned above, skunks show little or no fear of some other creature on the planet due to their remarkable defenses.
They will generally travel backwards and forwards when and where they need. If a skunk is moving your way or being watched from a distance, you’ll be able to take the time to admire it from a secure position.
However, if the skunk is headed your way, it is advisable get out of its way. If retreat or escape is unimaginable for any reason, stay still, don’t make any sudden movements, and check out to not startle the skunk.
Is there anything you’ll be able to do with the Skunk scent?
Few. Despite the numerous products available on the market claiming to eliminate skunk odor and the countless stories of old wives and concrete legends claiming to do the identical, only time will soften the sticky, sickly and disgusting smell of skunk secretions.
Tomato juice will not be effective. Lemon juice will not be effective. Commercial products which can be specifically formulated to neutralize the cocktail of thiol compounds that give skunk spray its punch work higher, but aren’t 100%.
Considerable research has resulted in most outstanding agencies and organizations recommending a combination of dishwashing soap, baking soda, and diluted hydrogen peroxide as the very best option.
Over time, the smell will disappear from the skin and hair, but the products, especially fabrics, could be ruined without end.
Do skunks carry diseases that humans can catch?
Skunks are known to hold several diseases and various parasites, especially ticks and fleas. However, probably the most serious skunk-borne virus that could be transmitted to humans is rabies.
Although not as common a carrier as another small mammals, skunks are the bulk carrier of the rabies virus within the Midwestern United States and parts of California.
Therefore, a really aggressive skunk needs to be handled with great concern, greater than usual, and you need to never approach a skunk since it, like all other wild mammal, can carry and infect you with rabies.
