Your Friday photo is in honor of Earth Month and the wildlife at Meher Mount…

Caretaker Ray Johnston’s trail camera caught this nighttime visitor at the pond.

Skunks are normally nocturnal. They spend the day sleeping in burrows and search for food and water in early evening and through the night.

But once in a while, you might see a skunk during the day, particularly if the skunk is a nursing mother looking for food.

This photo of a skunk foraging at Meher Mount during the day was also taken by Ray Johnston.

Skunks are beneficial to farmers, gardeners, and landowners. They are omnivorous and eat a variety of garden pests, including mice, voles, beetles, various larvae, wasps and crickets.

Skunks are also scavengers. They will seek out animal carcasses, which helps keep an ecosystem free of carrion. Scavengers are important to the health of the environment.

If You See a Skunk…

If you see a skunk, remember they have poor eyesight. You can make loud noises, stamp your feet, clap your hands loudly, or just walk away.  

Skunks are generally not aggressive and will only spray if they feel cornered or attacked.

The spray, which comes from two glands near the base of the skunk’s tail, can hit a target 12 feet away. If threatened, skunks stamp their front feet, lift their tail, and growl. Some species of skunk even spring into a handstand before spraying. If the person or animal doesn’t retreat, the skunk aims the spray at the eyes, allowing the skunk to escape. The spray can remain on its target for days.

It may seem ironic, but skunks hate certain odors: citrus, ammonia, mothballs and strong household deodorizing scents.

Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) – generally seen in the Southern California ecosystem – are solitary, typically docile animals.

They often live in the abandoned dens of other mammals during the day, or take up residence in hollowed logs, brush piles or underneath buildings. They prefer underground dens in colder winter climates. While not truly hibernating, striped skunks experience extended periods of inactivity during winter.

Male striped skunks breed with multiple females and are rejected by the females after mating occurs. Female striped skunks typically give birth once each year, with breeding occurring between February and April.

~Margaret Magnus, Communications Director