Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
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)
Why don't you just state that in some countries the skunk is referred to as a polecat. It would be perfectly true. Here in America it was used quite frequently in the old days. Skunks might still be called polecats in the more rural states for all i know. Obviously you were wrong about them "NEVER" being called "POLECATS" by "ANYONE" in the world because it is obviously used in Canada and the US. Thank you for your contribution though. I think it SHOULD be noted that skunks are NOT true polecats at all. I'm glad that you mentioned that. Polecat is just slang for skunk in these countries. --Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.72.181.197 (talk) 22:48, 11 June 2009 (UTC)
A skunk has one stripe while a polecat has two stripes. There is a difference in their smell. A polecat has a stronger sulfer smell. --Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.255.88.166 (talk) 02:52, 6 January 2010 (UTC)
Ok then! Let's add it to the article that this is one of the animals that are (used to be?) called "polecats". Chrisrus (talk) 19:33, 28 May 2011 (UTC)
Can Skunks Climb Fences Video
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....
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)
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)
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)
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.
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)
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)
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)
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)
Location
Do Skunks live anywhere else except the Americas?
No. 211.72.108.19 00:37, 29 June 2006 (UTC)
The article in the French Wikipedia states that they're found in Switzerland, Scandinavia, and Russia. Dynzmoar (talk) 11:56, 17 August 2009 (UTC)
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! :)
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.
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[3] Renmiri 00:12, 1 June 2006 (UTC)
The article states studies have shown the smell only travels up to a kilometer. The very next sentence states the human nose can detect the smell downwind up to a mile away. Clearly this is a contradiction. For the smell to be detected a mile away the scent particles had to travel a mile and a mile is longer than a kilometer. 76.106.0.205 (talk) 14:59, 23 July 2014 (UTC)
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.
I thought skunks were mustelids...61.230.78.55 08:47, 11 June 2006 (UTC)
Why Skunks
What is the skunks purpose? Are they simply a smelly nuisance animal?
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)
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)==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)
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)
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).
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,
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)
Request Anonymous edit block
I have restored this article now atleast 3 times in 30 minutes... Gunnaraztek 14:59, 10 May 2007 (UTC)
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)
- In Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior, Kingston writes about her mother once cooking and serving skunk, something her mother did partly because, even in America, she didn't waste meat, but also because to eat something bad is to deny it power over oneself. Kingston is reporting the fact that her mother made her eat skunk; she didn't like it, and she is not recommending that anyone else try it. Calogera (talk) 03:03, 13 May 2011 (UTC)
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 o contribs) 00:00, 19 September 2007 (UTC)
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)
Scent removal
some people like skunks --Preceding unsigned comment added by Thylacinus cynocephalus (talk o 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)
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)
Bites: "How-to"
The section "Bites" contained some "how-to" type information on treating skunk bites, which Anaxial removed on 6 July 2008, with the note "Remove how-to section, per Wikipedia policy". I believe that Anaxial's point is well-taken, however we also have an official policy Wikipedia:Ignore all rules to cover cases when exceptions are desirable.
Since information on treating skunk bites could be important to users (in case of rabies could well save someone's life), does anyone feel inclined to argue for or against including such information in the article? (I note also that the info removed was not cited, and personally would want to insist that such medical recommendations would have to be cited to a reliable source if included.)
-- Thanks. -- 201.17.36.246 (talk) 23:53, 6 July 2008 (UTC)
Control of Skunk Odor in the vicinity or residential dwellings and Nuisance
This is a new section. The goal is to develop a section for use by homeowners for reference on control of skunks and their odor in the near vicinity of residential dwellings. Expert contributors needed. 72.65.172.67 (talk)
Million or billion?
This article claims that skunk smell is detectable at a part per billion. Plausible or no? -- Spireguy (talk) 13:02, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
Cheche?
OK, so a thing in biology we were doing about the GENOME species thing, something came up on a picture with a skunk that we used as an example, and it obviously meant skunk, because there were other people in the picture saying the same thing. Anyway, in what language does Cheche mean skunk? --Preceding unsigned comment added by Dtdsora (talk o contribs) 23:44, 31 August 2010 (UTC)
A kicheche is the Kiswahili (or Swahili) name for the zorilla, an African animal of the weasel family but that also has a double stripe and also sprays defensively. -- Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.220.139.251 (talk) 06:55, 20 February 2012 (UTC)
how they spray?
i'm sure i saw something on Discovery about a Skunk standing on its front feet and backing towards is target when spraying. (might of been at Bear Gryhls) Shouldn't this be in the article? --Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.143.69.81 (talk) 18:42, 6 January 2011 (UTC)
I think only spotted skunks do that neat little trick. Chrisrus (talk) 04:18, 31 May 2011 (UTC)
10 species or 12?
Why are there 12 species listed in the article, and in the beginning it says there are ten? It confused me. --Nazroon (talk) 19:52, 18 April 2011 (UTC)
zorillo
The words polecat, skunk and zorillo are all encountered in America in different contexts. We do not omit one of those names because it happens to come from the Spanish, just as we don't censor naook from the article on polar bear because it is an Inuit word.?????? (talk) 02:11, 31 May 2011 (UTC)
Stink Badger vs. Skunk
While these references do say that stink badgers are members of the larger "skunk family", none of them say that they are skunks. I know that it's a lot easier for this article to simply say that they are skunks instead of the closest living relatives of the skunk family, I don't think that we should say they simply say they are skunks unless the citations say that. Also, it's not clear that everything this article says about skunks is necessarily true of stink badgers. Chrisrus (talk) 02:48, 12 December 2011 (UTC)
Abenaki Translation Inconsistency?
I was reviewing this article and noticed that it refers to the Abenaki word Seganku twice as the origin of the name Skunk; Once in Etymology, and again in Anal scent glands. The inconsistency is this: From the Etymology section,
And from the Anal Scent Glands section,
Considering the Etymology entry has a source whereas the second entry does not, perhaps the second entry should be removed? Ikaruwa (talk) 20:31, 8 January 2012 (UTC)
Behavior
The article is missing some details on skunk behavior.
Climbing - A casual search only turned up unreliable speculation on if skunks can or normally climb trees, onto fences, etc. http://www.ct.gov/deEP/cwp/view.asp?a=2723&q=326084&deepNav_GID=1655 says "Fencing will also help keep skunks out of gardens because they are not good climbers." http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=864 says "Since spotted skunks are good climbers." and also to help a skunk out of a window well you can make a ramp for it but it says "Avoid slopes steeper than 45 degrees as it may be too steep for a skunk to climb." I believe the contradiction is that striped skunks are poor climbers while spotted skunks are good climbers. We'll need better sources.
Digging - The article says they dig burrows. A casual search only turned up unreliable speculation on if skunks can or normally dig under fences. How far down do they dig? One friend had a skunk under his house. He blocked off the hole but did not realize he had blocked off the female who was outside and separated it from her kits which were still in the basement. The female tunneled under the foundation to get her kits. When motivated they clearly dig but would they do this just to get to other side of a fence while foraging for food? http://www.ct.gov/deEP/cwp/view.asp?a=2723&q=326084&deepNav_GID=1655 says "any fencing may have to be buried at least one foot deep." http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=864 says "Bury 1 side at least 3 inches below the ground surface, extending it 9 inches outward in an "L" shape to discourage skunks from digging underneath."
Eyesight - A friend told me they don't see well and tend to move along up against fences, bushes, etc. rather than out in the open. I don't consider it reliable but http://www.wildlifehotline.org/skunk.html mentions quite a few times that skunks have poor or terrible eyesight which is why they stumble into things like window wells, swimming pools, etc. This article also says they are not good climbers. --Marc Kupper|talk 21:49, 27 January 2014 (UTC)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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