Back to gallery

Skunk

I had always thought of Skunks as being nocturnal, but I have learned that they are considered to be "crepuscular" -- which means to be neither nocturnal nor diurnal, but rather to be active in the twilight hours of very early morning and late evening. I know that in late Winter and early Spring they become much more active, often well into the early morning sun. This is prompted by the thawing of the ground -- revealing all those tasty larval bugs -- and the start of mating season.

 

They have exceptional hearing and sense of smell, but very poor vision. Anything beyond 10-15 ft (3 or 4 meters) is very indistinct to their eyesight. If you see them first, and move slowly, it's possible to get fairly close without the odoriferous consequences most people fear.

 

I thought this guy had a pretty sharp looking hairdo.

1,678 views
7 faves
23 comments
Uploaded on March 19, 2008
Taken on March 19, 2008