Skunk

Page 129

There was some sliver of a moon and in the faint-pearl light he could see the bushy tail, the white stripes down the back, and he had nearly smiled. He did not know how the skunk had found the eggs, some smell, perhaps some tiny fragment of shell had left a smell, but it looked almost cute, its little head down and its little tail up as it dug and dug, kicking the sand back.

     But those were his eggs, not the skunk's, and the half smile had been quickly replaced with fear that he would lose his food and he grabbed a handful of sand an thrown it at the skunk.

     "Get out of here. . . "

     He was going to say more, some silly human words, but in less than half  a second the skunk had snapped its rear end up, curved the tail over, and sprayed Brian with a direct shot aimed at his head from less than four feet away.

     In the tiny confines of the shelter the effect was devastating. The thick sulfurous rotten odor filled the small room, heavy, ugly, and stinking. The corrosive spray that hit his face seared into his lungs and eyes, blinding him.

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     The skunk is an unusual animal that is black with two white stripes on its back. Its small black head has a white stripe down the middle of its eyes. Its black tail has a white tip. The striped  skunk is black with two wide, white stripes on its back. These stripes meet at its head. Its small front feet end with 5 toes with long claws. They are 20 to 30 inches long including their tail. They weigh 6 to 10 pounds. This is about the size of a house cat.

     Most skunks come out at night. The striped skunk lives in deserts, woods, and suburbs. They are found in Canada and the United States. Skunks hibernate in the winter.

      Seventy percent of the skunk's diet is insects that are harmful to humans. They eat grubs, small mammals, and eggs of ground nesting birds.

     Skunks have 4 to 7 babies at one time. The babies are born in mid-May.

     Skunks have an unusual defense system. They spray their enemies with a chemical. The chemical is a sulfur compound called N- bulymercaptan. The skunk's body can hold five or six full-powered sprays. This spray can hit a target 15 feet away. The skunk sprays when it is caught by surprise and can not run away.

     Skunk spray can cause temporary blindness to humans, but does not cause permanent damage. If sprayed by a skunk in the eyes flush them out with cold water. If the spray hits your skin you can wash with carbolic soap and water, tomato juice, or vinegar. You may be able to save your clothes if you wash them several times with vinegar. Let them air outside for a month. Then take them to the dry cleaners. However, burning the clothing may be the best solution.