WILDERNESS SURVIVAL GUIDE

   Do you know what it feels liketo be sprayed in the face by an animal and you had to take  twelve showers a day just to get the stench out?Well,if you know what animal I'm talking about,then you mightv'e guessed...a skunk!Skunks are mammals with rabies that are well known for their abilty to spray a liquid with a strong odor up to ten feet.They can live up to 10 years.Skunks can weigh from about 16-18 pounds and can be 8-19 inches long.They can have warning coloration which is black and white,brown,or cream colored.Also,skunks have front claws along with well-muscled legs.

   As you may know,skunks are omnivores.They eat garbage and can also be scavengers.Unlike some mammals,skunks do not hibernate.They live in burrows and dens.Although skunks have excellent senses of smell and hearing,they have horrible vision which can lead to death by road traffic.They are slow and move at 10 miles per hour.Also,skunk kits are born deaf,blind,and covered in soft layers of fur,but male skunks do not take part in raising their young.Kits stay with their mother until the fall and then they are on their own.Skunks are nocturnal meaning that they sleep during the day and are active during the night.Another weird fact is that skunks are natural predators of honeybees and attack beehives.If you've been sprayed by a skunk,you probably want to know how they do it;skunks have anal scent glands,and when threatened their glands are triggered and they release the bad odor.The odor is hamless,but it is hard to get out.One folk remedy that I've heard is to bathe in tomato paste!