Interestingly, female skunks can store the male's sperm separately from her eggs in order to delay pregnancy until weather conditions are favorable. The gestation period is around 63 days long. Litter size: Female skunks produce litters between 4 and 6 offspring but it can range between 1 and 9. Rearing: Baby skunks keep their eyes closed for the first 21 days and remain in the den for the first 6 to 8 weeks. After this time, the young will venture out for nighttime foraging with their mother.
Diet: Skunks are omnivores but prefer to eat plants, veggies, fruits, insects, grubs, small animals and eggs as well as anything left in accessible garbage cans.
For the "do-it-yourselfer", performing wildlife removal and animal proofing can be a dangerous undertaking and best be left to an experienced professional. Over the years we have come across customers who attempted to do-it-themselves, only to sustain serious bodily harm by falling off ladders and roofs.
One customer, startled by an aggressive mother raccoon fell through their ceiling onto the staircase below and broke his back. Mating habits vary slightly based on the age of the female, but as a general rule the skunk mating season ranges from February through March annually. Although they do not hibernate like other animals, skunks are less active during the winter and stay in their dens.
A skunk den is a burrow found just beneath the ground and may even be concealed under buildings, porches, brush or lumber piles, or sometimes skunks will take over the abandoned burrows of other animals. Skunks are nocturnal animals, so they head out at night to find their food. When February rolls around, males will begin looking for females for breeding.
They will travel up to five miles during mating season but generally travel only a mile or two. When a litter of kittens will be born depends on when the mother was born and the harshness of the winter in the area. Milder winter will bring out males in early February. Harsher winter may postpone the emergence of males a few weeks toward March. Yearling female skunks that were born during the last year will not be ready to mate in February; yearlings wait until March or April before they will accept a mate.
Females who are not interested in mating will spray the male to let him know to get away. They are omnivores, which means they eat a wide variety of food, including insects, mice, fruits, chicken eggs, or even pet food that is left outdoors. Their food preferences or denning locations often bring them into conflict with people.
Before spraying, an agitated skunk will first:. Great Horned Owls are the main predator of skunks; they catch skunks through a quick, silent pounce. Moving slowly and talking softly while approaching a skunk will minimize the threat they feel as a prey species. Watch for signs of agitation, and freeze until the skunk calms down. Dogs can easily startle skunks since their tendency is to run directly at the skunk without pause. If you have skunks in your neighborhood, you may want to make noise at night before letting your dog out in the yard.
Simply calling out to warn the skunks will typically startle them out of your yard prior to letting the dog out. Den under Building: The openings to skunk dens are usually about four to six inches wide, and smell faintly like skunk. Baby skunks are typically born in May and June and remain in their dens for eight weeks. If at all possible, be patient and wait for the skunk family to leave on their own. Once you think the den is unoccupied, loosely stuff the den hole with crumpled newspaper.
Amend the area to prevent future skunks or other animals from moving in by covering the entrance with wire mesh that extends underground. Digging in Lawns: Skunks love eating insects, so if your lawn or new sod has an infestation of grubs, you may find skunks digging in the yard to find food. Typically, homeowners will see many holes in the yard, usually about two inches in size. The best way to prevent this conflict is to get rid of the grub problem.
There are also other commercial grub treatments available on the market; visit your local garden center and ask about pesticide-free grub treatment. The simplest way to keep beehives safe is to elevate the hives off the ground. Raiding Chicken Coops: Exclusion is the only long-term solution. Make sure chickens are securely closed in the coop at night; fencing around the coop should extend eight inches underground.
Remember to watch carefully for signs of agitation when approaching the trapped skunk; move slowly and speak softly as you work. If the window well is large enough, slide a rough, wooden board into the well to act as a ramp for the skunk; the skunk will likely climb out at night. If the well is small, and the ramp board is too steep more than a degree angle , you can lower a bucket on its side into the well, after placing some smelly food cat food, tuna, or peanut butter in the bucket.
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