The striped skunk ( mephitis mephitis ) is a skunk of the genus Mephitis from southern Canada, the United States and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as the least noticed by the IUCN due to its wide reach and ability to adapt to human-modified environments.
It is a polygamous omnivore with several natural predators, except for birds of prey. Skunked skunks have a long history of relationships with humans, have been trapped and breeded for their fur and kept as exotic pets. It is one of North America's most recognizable animals, and is a popular character in cartoons and children's books.
Video Striped skunk
Description
The striped skunk is a short, stocky animal with a small conical head and a long, long-necked tail. Adult males are 10% larger than females, with both sexes measuring between 52-77 cm in total body length and typically weigh 1.8-4.5 kg (4.0-9.9 pounds), although some may weighs 5.5 kg (12 pounds). The foot is a plantigrade with bare soles, and is not as wide or flat as a pig-nosed skunk. The front paws are armed with five long curved claws that are adapted for digging, while the hind legs are shorter and erect.
The fur color pattern varies greatly, but generally consists of a black base with a white stripe extending from the head that splits along the shoulder, continuing along the pelvis to the buttock and tail. Some specimens have white patches on the chest, while others have white stripes on the outer surface of the front legs. Brown-colored or cream-colored mutations sometimes occur.
Like all skunks, striped skulls have two highly developed aroma glands, one on each side of the anus, containing about 15 milliliters of musk. This oily, yellow musk consists of a very smelly mixture of thiols (analog sulfur alcohol, in an older source called "merkaptan"), which can be sprayed at a distance of several meters. If sprayed on eyes, these compounds can cause temporary burning sensations. This musk smell is likened to Ernest Thompson Seton for a mixture of musk perfume, garlic essence, sulfur burning and gutter "enlarged a thousand times", though Clinton Hart Merriam claims that it is not "tenth" as offensive as it is produced by mink and weasel.
Maps Striped skunk
Naming
The English word "skunk" has two basic words from Algonquian and Iroquoian, especially my (i) (Abenaki) and scangaresse (Huron). The word Cree and Ojibwe shee-gawk is the basic word for Chicago, which means 'skunk ground'. Alternative English names for striped skunks include a common skunk, Hudson's skunks, northern skunks, black-skunked skunks and foxes. The latter name was originally used by British settlers, who noted the similarities of the animal with European wrinkles. This association is most likely to produce the bad reputation of the following striped skunk as a poultry thief, even though it is a much more destructive animal than the real skin. The name "Alaska sable" was employed by furriers during the late 19th century.
Native and local names
Taxonomy and evolution
The earliest fossils discovered due to Mephitis were found on the Broadwater site in Nebraska, dating back to the early Pleistocene less than 1.8 million years ago. At the end of the Pleistocene (70,000-14,500 years ago), the striped skunk was widespread throughout the southern United States, and it was expanded to the north and west by the Holocene (10,000-4,500 years ago) after the retreat of Wisconsin glaciers.
Phylogenetic analyzes of the species cytochrome b genes and microsatellite data in 2012 show that there are four phylogroups of skunked striped skulls. The first emerged from the Texas-Mexico region during Rancholabrean before Illinoian glaciation and colonize the southeastern United States. The second one, still originating in the Texas-Mexico region, expanded westward into the Rocky Mountains during the Illinoian glacial period. The next two subclasses are formed during the interglacial Sangamonian on either side of the Sierra Nevada. The colonized Subclade in the Great Basin then progressed east across the northern Rocky Mountains during the Holocene, recombinning the Great Plains and making contact with the southern phylogroup. The same but less significant secondary contacts occurred when the same subgroup mingled with phylum members east of the Mississippi river.
Subspecies
Thirteen subspecies of the striped skunk are generally recognized:
CVs
Reproduction and development
The stranded tendon is polygamy, and usually breeds once a year, though the unmarried betinak betinak can enter the second estrus cycle a month after the first. Mating season usually occurs between mid-February and mid-April, despite being delayed at a higher latitude. Before the joint, male testes swelled during the January-February period, with the maximum size achieved in March. Men during this period will cover a lot of land in their quest for women, sometimes covering 4 km per night.
When a man places a woman, he will approach her from behind and lick her genitals, then bite her on the back of her neck before copulating. A single male may have a harem of several females, which he matches with and defends against other males for about 35 days. After the mating period is over, the impregnated females confine themselves to their nests, while the males try to rebuild their fat reserves.
The gestation period lasts about 59-77 days, with the kit being born around mid-May to early June. Litter generally consists of 2-12 kits, though litter 18 is known from Pennsylvania. Kit is born blind and rarely hairy, weighing 25-40 grams. Eyes open after about three weeks, and weaned after 42-56 days. Although their musk is still undeveloped, this age kit will instinctively assume a defensive standing position when threatened. At this point, the kit can accompany their mother outside the workspace, becoming independent after 2½ months.
Denning and sheltering behavior
A striped skunk can dig its own nest, although it will be in accordance with what other animals leave behind if there is a chance. This pier is usually only used in late fall, winter, and early spring, while females with unexploded equipment use it in the late spring and summer. In cultivated areas, striped skunks will dig their nests in sight, possibly because they tend to be disturbed by machines or livestock. In winter it is common for single nests to be occupied by several women and one male. During this period, a striped skunk saves its energy by lowering its body temperature from 38 Ã, Â ° C to 32 Ã, Â ° C. Although it will look for food for the short term in winter, it mainly depends on its fat reserves in cold weather, and can lose as much as 50% of his body weight.
Ecology
Habitat
The ribbed ribs inhabit a variety of habitats, especially mixed forest, small corners and open fields interspersed with rocky cliffs and rocky outcrops. Some populations, especially in northwest Illinois, prefer cultivation areas rather than untreated ones.
Diet
While primarily insectivores, skunked skunks are adaptable enough to include other animals and even vegetables into their diet. The most commonly consumed insects include grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, and caterpillars. In winter and spring, striped skis will complement his diet with vertebrates such as white-footed mice, rats, eggs, and birds laying on the ground. Striped sketches that inhabit California's coastal areas will eat crabs and fish that are dressed. Although not adapted to chase prey with the fleet, at least one specimen was observed chasing gray cottontails into their burrows. When the season, skunks will also consume vegetables, such as apples, blueberries, black cherry, ground cherries, corn and nightshade.
Mortality
Due to its formidable defense capability, the striped skunk has several natural enemies. Mammalian predators usually avoid skunks, unless they are starving. Such predators include cougars, coyotes, bobcats, badgers, and red and gray foxes. Bird predators, including golden and bald eagles, and large horned owls tend to have greater success in skunk hunting, although they are still at risk of being blinded by musk.
Skunked skunks are one of the main carriers of the rabies virus, second only to raccoons in the US where skunks are 25% of annual cases. Skunks is the main host in the northern and southern US as well as in Canada. Rabies cases in this species are generally epizootic and repetitive. They are also host to dog parvovirus and may also suffer from leptospirosis.
Relationships with humans
In culture
Skunked skunks are usually featured in Native American myths and oral traditions. Some stories try to explain the pattern of the strip or how it smells. Skunk fills various roles in legends and may be featured as heroes, swindlers, villains, or monsters. For the Muscogee, a skunk represents a loyal family and defends a loved one. The Winnebago people use a skunk to symbolize pride, be beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside.
The striped skunk was once called the "American symbol" by Ernest Thompson Seton. Common in modern popular culture, it is the subject of various jazz and funk songs such as Calloway's Skunk Song and Breaker Brothers Some Skunk Funk. The skunk connection of this genre may be because the term "funk" becomes a term for a strong odor. Skunk is also a popular character in children's stories, comics and cartoons, especially the character of Warner Bros. PepÃÆ' Â © Le Pew, their musky scent that makes them a source of fear and exclusion.
Traps and use of feathers
Striped breech is one of the most sought after in North America, and was once the second most harvested after muskrat. Its fur is intrinsically valuable, long-lasting and richly lustrous, although this trait decreases with wear and exposure to sunlight. Skunk pelts are divided into four classes, with the most valuable ones being ones with larger amounts of black. These values ​​are subdivided into values ​​by their region, with the most valuable occurring in the north, where feathers are smoother and darker. Skunk is notorious for being easily trapped, even approaching the trap they previously captured. Because skunks are hard to kill without removing them musk (and thereby damaging their fur) they are usually sent with a crippling punch back down or drown if caught in a box trap.
Skunk farms largely began in the late 1890s, when there was a lot of foreign demand for their skin, and intensive traps had largely destroyed the more valuable black specimens. Captive skunks have proven to be relatively simple compared to mink and marten farms, as skunks are more easily domesticated and have less special needs. Emphasis is placed on selective breeding of the tamest and darkest skeleton. Before the First World War, breech skins were mainly sent to Europe until better odor-removal methods and leather processing led to increased interest in selling them for North American consumption. Although it is easy to breed and manage, the skunk business is not very profitable, since the relatively low price of the feather does not offset the cost of maintaining it. Nevertheless, increasing skunks is considered a good practice for amateur fur breeders who want to move to more valuable furbearers like martens, sable, stoats, and silver foxes.
Other uses
The striped skunk is regularly eaten by trappers and indigenous peoples, provided the animal is not too old or has not been sprayed before being killed. American zoologist Clinton Hart Merriam described the skunks as white, soft and sweet, and finer than chicken. The meat is appreciated by Chinese immigrants, who also buy bile chopsticks for medicinal purposes. This fat was once known as an excellent lubricant. The musk was once used as a traditional remedy for asthma, despite its very strong odor.
Taming
These striped skunks are easily tamed, and are often kept in barns to kill rats and mice during the 19th century. Selective breeding has resulted in the emergence of various color mutations, including black, brown or gray and white smokey, apricot, albino, white, lavender, champagne and mahogany.
References
External links
- Striped Skunk on the Web of Animal Diversity
- Striped Skunk Tracks
- Smithsonian Institution - North American Mammals: Mephitis mephitis
- Smithsonian Wild: Mephitis mephitis
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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