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Striped skunk

Mephitis mephitis

Photo by KarenL
Published on Project Noah
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35.8987, -86.9624

Field Notes

Notes:

I see this little guy most evenings rooting around by our drive - a juvi I think as it is only about a foot long excluding it's tail. The photos are terrible but I didn't want to get within skunking distance & my flash wasn't really sufficient!
I think this one maybe one of the kits of the Leucitic skunk we saw last spring http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/7082115

Reference Links:

Striped skunk

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (18)
KarenL
And luckily I have a kind vet who donated a supply of avian safe dewormer! It's expensive enough paying vet bills for my 2 cats without all the other critters!
HemaShah
it always helps animals to have a safe haven! They go thru so much in the wild! Funny how you noticed it has worms! :)
KarenL
Not too many bugs round here at the moment either - but spring is around the corner so hopefully that will all change soon! We didn't start out intentionally feeding the foxes but they came round anyway to eat spilled bird seed under the feeders & the scraps we were putting out for the birds. It was so lovely to see them we kept putting scraps out & started providing dog food with dewormer every couple of weeks after we noticed one of them scooting around on his butt like dogs sometimes do when they have worms.
HemaShah
That is very kind and considerate of you Karen! People do not realize how much emotion goes into creatures. I feel i am bug blind. i see very few bugs round.
KarenL
I worry about that when I remove a spider for a few macro shots & I always try & put them back exactly where I found them in case they have eggs nearby...
HemaShah
feeding or not feeding animals is a very confusing issue sometimes. If you are consistently able to feed them then they would rather eat at a safe place and not stray else where. That way nobody needs to shoot at them . The problem would be though is when you stop feeding them . they would loose their source of food supply. But i feel that feeding them could cause other imbalances. But for now I follow David Attenboroughs advice. Sometimes it is best to use your intuition.
HemaShah
I have noticed so many times .little boys take frogs home to play with . They take good care of them till they want to. Once they tire of it they go back to the pond and release them back. I wonder often about what the frog goes thru! It could be easy transition or ......
KarenL
I agree! We do put scraps out for the foxes but I wouldn't want to get them so habituated that we can hand feed them as I think it is much healthier for them to keep their wariness of humans - especially round here where we have neighbors that shoot at "varmints". You are right, this is probably a juvi - quite small & still inquisitive!
HemaShah
Of course. Like Sir David Attenborough said . Let wild life stay in the wild. Looks like it is a juvenile. Juveniles always like to interact much more. i had a baby raccoon once trying to converse with me. i feel that wild life feels lonely sometimes . i am always tempted to feed them. For instance i would love to offer peanuts to this baby. But i always keep David A's words in mind and let them be. Too much cuteness in this world.
KarenL
Emma, this one hasn't been a problem at all. He/she hangs around & has a good look at me & doesn't seem to be too bothered by my presence but trots off quite nonchalantly if I get too close - I don't want to put its tolerance to the test though! :) I've not seen (or smelt) the flowers - how interesting!
HemaShah
We have one that is a backyard visitor.Actually it is quite pretty to look at. Slow moving. Carrier of rabies,cold blooded,adorable none the less. I have seen a beautiful red flower tree with the most beautiful bright,glossy ,shiny red flowers. These flowers smell exactly like skunks 24/7. Unless you remove the tree you have no choice but to deal with the smell. I haven't really heard people complain about it either!
KarenL
Haha, yes I got "skunked" a couple of weeks ago when I stopped the car to take a snap of one that had run in front of me & was trying to hide in a woodpile. Luckily I was in the car & just far enough away to avoid getting hit but the smell was nasty!
BrandyRichardson
That is amazing!! And very brave of you. I saw a skunk last year and it was like 5 feet away, I ran like a little school girl. I wish I had gone back outside to take a picture, simply because it was an albino skunk, but it was hissing and scary.
KarenL
Sachin, yes we see a lot of eyes reflected in the lights at night!
beallburton
Neat photos, despite the tough conditions. I don't blame you for not getting closer.

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Wildlife of Goose Creek
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PublishedFebruary 2, 2012

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