|
|
|
|
|
|
More About Skunks ...
|
"The skunks or Mephitidae are a family of medium-sized mammals, typically black-and-white-furred, belonging to the order Carnivora".
Although the most common coloration for skunks is black and white, some skunks are brown or grey in color, and a few are cream-colored.
Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing?vital attributes in a nocturnal carnivore?they have poor vision. They cannot see objects more than about 3 metres away with any clarity, which makes them very vulnerable to road traffic. Roughly half of all skunk deaths are caused by humans, as roadkill, or as a result of shooting and poisoning. The best-known and most distinctive feature of the skunks is the great development of their scent glands, which they use as defensive weapons. They have two glands, on either side of the anus, that produce a mixture of sulphur-containing chemicals (methyl and butyl mercaptans) that has a highly offensive smell.
|
|
Taxonmony
|
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mephitidae
|
|
Source: Wikipedia Read more about Skunks
|
|
|
|
|
