Would you like a skunk for a pet? Probably not, yet many people have made pets of them... after removing the scent glands. They find they are just as nice as a cat or a dog.
These animals make their homes only in North America. There are about a dozen species, all having many similarities. Although often seen in daylight, they are most active at night, usually hunting in groups that travel single file through fields or brush. All are black and white and have long, plumed tails. Perhaps the Creator gave them these distinctive features so they may be recognized and avoided, even in the darkness.
Skunks have a very effective chemical weapon called mercaptan which is produced inside their bodies. Since they are shy and gentle, they are reluctant to use it, preferring just to be left alone. However, any animal or person whose curiosity brings them too close or who threatens them, will first be met by a cold, unblinking stare, thumping of feet on the ground, and shaking of the head all seeming to say “you’re too close; you’d better back off.” If this is not done the skunk turns its back (not to run away, for it never does that) and promptly lifts its tail over its back, lowers its head, raises its hind quarters, and without further warning lets loose a blast of the worst-smelling spray imaginable. Not only does it smell terrible, but it burns skin and can cause temporary (or sometimes perment) blindness. An animal or person who has had this experience will usually stay far away from skunks!
The most common skunk is the striped skunk (nicknamed wood-pussy). They are about 30-inches long including their 10-inch tail and have fewer white markings than most other kinds. They are right at home in the forest or brush, near farms and even by city residences. Sometimes they will make a nest in a barn or under a porch, where they become a real problem. Getting rid of them is usually done by trapping.
During the springtime their food is mainly mice, but by summer they switch over to grasshoppers, beetles and other insects, often ripping rotten logs open to find them. They are also fond of fruit and berries, but since they cannot climb trees they have to take what can be reached from the ground.
The care given to these animals by the One who created them is expressed in Psalms 119:6464The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes. (Psalm 119:64): “The earth, O Lord, is full of Thy mercy.” We should think, too, of a companion verse which says, “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding.” Psalms 119:7373JOD. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. (Psalm 119:73). It is good to ask for an understanding of His love, to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, and to thank Him for all His kindness.
(to be continued)
ML-04/07/1985