Talk:Skunk/Archive 1

Archive 1

Polecat redirect?

Could someone get rid of that redirect? Skunks, to my knowledge, have never been referred to as "polecats" by anyone in the world. The only animals named polecat that I know of are European species of weasels, such as the European polecat, mink and ferret. 71.241.117.14 (talk) 10:40, 9 December 2007 (UTC)

I think that's out of date. While Polecat does lead to a disambiguation page that includes skunk amongst its synonyms, it does not redirect directly to this page. So you were right to remove the reference to 'Polecat Redirects here', as it doesn't. Anaxial (talk) 10:53, 9 December 2007 (UTC)

I have, on a number of occasions, heard skunks referred to as polecats. Though it is certainly not a choice term, it receives enough use to be acknowledged (in Canada at least). Here's a source attesting to its arguable appellation: http://eduscapes.com/nature/skunk/index1.htm AlecEspie (talk) 01:10, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

It's not in use over the pond - in Britain if you say "polecat" the only creature the listener thinks of is closely related to the ferret and is certainly not in the skunk family. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/print/274.shtml). Move for this regional distinction to be explicitly mentioned, eg "sometimes also known as a polecat in Canada." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.154.92.234 (talk) 01:58, 18 January 2009 (UTC)

Why don't you just state that in some countries the skunk is referred to as a polecat. It would be perfectly true. Here in America it was used quite frequently in the old days. Skunks might still be called polecats in the more rural states for all i know. Obviously you were wrong about them "NEVER" being called "POLECATS" by "ANYONE" in the world because it is obviously used in Canada and the US. Thank you for your contribution though. I think it SHOULD be noted that skunks are NOT true polecats at all. I'm glad that you mentioned that. Polecat is just slang for skunk in these countries. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.72.181.197 (talk) 22:48, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

A skunk has one stripe while a polecat has two stripes. There is a difference in their smell. A polecat has a stronger sulfer smell. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.255.88.166 (talk) 02:52, 6 January 2010 (UTC)

Polecat is often used in the American South as term for a skunk. Actually in Southern Indiana the word polecat and skunk are interchangeable. Extermino (talk) 23:22, 28 February 2010 (UTC)

Ok then! Let's add it to the article that this is one of the animals that are (used to be?) called "polecats". Chrisrus (talk) 19:33, 28 May 2011 (UTC)

Removing the Smell

What the hell is up with tomato juice ? It has been proven that washing with tomate juice will let you get rid of the Smell... thats a fact. anybody telling other is stupid or a lier. I don't know if it breaks up that stuff, but it definately will remove the smell from you. And im not telling this because i have seen it on Mythbusters or Jackass... its something everybody know, and everybody who has tried it confirmed... --87.165.161.247 23:13, 23 June 2006 (UTC)

• It doesn't work on my dogs....

My German Sheppard gets skunked 2-3 times every summer so I have lots of practice deskunking her and the house :( Tomato Juice will remove most of the smell but not all and it is very time consuming, as you have to bath the dog on it several times to get good results. I use the peroxide / baking soda mix and it removes all the smell in 15 minutes!

Perhaps TJ would be a good choice for the dog's face around the eyes as the perxide is too harsh for that area. Oh, and for some thin furred dogs and fussy owners... My Border Collie's fur gets "bleached" when I deskunk him w/ peroxide, but I prefer a dog with blondish / reddish patches than a smelly dog! Renmiri 11:10, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

I had a feisty chihuahua that got herself skunked no less than three times over a year, and found tomato juice to be absolutely worthless. 69.85.180.70 02:40, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Section on removing the smell

Removed from article:

Tomato juice, vinegar and other folk remedies do not break up the thiol compounds and therefore only mask the skunk spray smell. In industry, alkaline hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is used for scrubbing thiol and similar compounds from waste. On vehicles and household items oxygenating products like Oxyclean may be used to break up the thiol compounds but they are too harsh to be used on pets. To deskunk a dog or other pet you can use the deskunking mix described by the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (also mentioned here) but be aware that it can not be applied to the pet's eyes and other sensitive tissue. Also, skunks can carry rabies so your skunked pet should probably get a visit to his vet soon. Detailed instructions on how to apply the mix described above can be found here.

A section on removing the smell is a good idea, but this is a how-to, not an encyclopedically written and formatted section. -- Ec5618 15:19, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

How about fixing it instead of just removing it ? Renmiri 16:46, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

I'm happy to see you've taken an interest, and have committed to fixing the section. Cheers. -- Ec5618 17:32, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

It will be hard, if not impossible for me to do it. I'm the author of the one you rejected. That was my best effort... Can you give it a try since you disliked mine so much as to erase it ? Renmiri 17:32, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

It's difficult without turning part of the article into a how-to guide, especially considering that it seems there is no single solution. The malodourous secretion is quite sticky, and will stick to or be absorbed into clothing, skin and many plastics. There is no single, simple solution for all these applications. Remember the discussion just above, in which an editor claims quite vehemently that tomato juice works.

I have added a brief blurb, mentioning several home remedies, and a conclusion to show that the most effective seems to be the peroxide mix. -- Ec5618 20:32, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

Looks great, thanks! Renmiri 05:38, 30 June 2006 (UTC)

I know you all want a solution to skunk odor and I would like to offer on that I have found to really work as recently as 9/9/06 on my 10 month Akita who unfortunately had just has a bath that morning. He was sprayed head on and was hit in the face, ears, chest, neck and front legs. We rinsed off as much of the spray as would come off with water, then wetted him down with OdorXit Concentrate diluted 1 part concentrate to 20 or so parts water. In about 20 minutes there was no detectable smell. The next morning, some of the smell returned so we treated only in the areas that smelled. Next day, no smell. exring 00:35, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

I have moved this section to Wikibooks since it does not look like it would be easy to edit so as not to provide any advice - and removing all advice would rather defeat the point of the section, anyway. The information is all still there, and there's a link to the new page at the bottom of this one. Anaxial (talk) 19:08, 2 May 2008 (UTC)

I think you're being somewhat too strict in your interpretation of the WP:NOTHOWTO guideline. A single sentence about removing skunk odor does not make the entire article read like an "instruction manual", and it's quite easy to refer to the difficulty of removing the odor and link to wikibooks without including the recipe itself. I've put it back. Leaving it out is to omit an important detail, and one of the most frequent reasons people will look up "skunk" in wikipedia. Moreover, wikibooks is a completely inappropriate place for a single entry on how to remove skunk odor [1] - wikibooks should be textbooks, not single articles. Textbooks should have a unifying theme, facilitate education, etc. d'Elaphant (talk) 15:25, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

You may be right about wiki-books, but I count five sentences in the section that I removed, not one, and it seems to me that the read like instructions. On the other hand, I think the sentence that you added yesterday was entirely appropriate, and I have no problem with it. Anaxial (talk) 17:29, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

Rewriting skunk control

Here's my proposed rewrite, to eliminate the "second person" problem and improve the style. Remaining problems: (1) it's unclear, at least to me, what is meant by a "hardware cloth door." (2) The phrase "that 1/4 inches" is meaningless. Perhaps the original author of this section can enlighten us.

Dynzmoar 12:51, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

Skunk Control

The following measures are appropriate, whether or not a skunk is present. Removing piles of junk or wood eliminates den areas, and fences sunk one to two feet beneath the ground inhibits migration of skunks under houses. Removal of scraps of food and the storage of garbage in tightly sealed cans makes the area less attractive to skunks, as well as to bears. Spraying lawns and the ground around the foundation of the house with insecticides elminates 'delicious insects'.

When a skunk is present beneath a building, it can be repelled by dropping bags filled with mothballs or washcloths drenched with ammonia into the area. The bags must be tied to a secure rope for easy removal later on. To detect the skunk's movements, flour (or another harmless white powder) can be sprinkled around the den entrance. Daily observation may show fresh footprints from the skunk leading out, but not going back in. It is better to check in the morning, as the skunks will be more likely to leave at night.

After a skunk has left, all possible entry points should be blocked up. If it is uncertain whether all skunks have been eliminated, a hardware cloth door can be installed on the den entrance. The door should be hinged at the top and extend beyond the entrance and outward at the base at a right angle for about 6 inches. This allows skunks to exit the den but not to reenter.

Concrete?

I was told skunks can not spray when they are present on concrete (or other hard surfaces) because they must dig their claws into something in order to spray. --Tara (Nov, 2007)

While they may, perhaps, like to dig their claws in while spraying (and I'm not even sure about that), they certainly don't need to. So I'm afraid that being on concrete won't help.Anaxial (talk) 08:05, 18 November 2007 (UTC)

Skunk advice!

Any suggestions on how to discourage skunks from coming into our yard? Our dog has been blasted twice in the last month right outside our back door. I've been told there are chemicals that you can spray on the ground that they will avoid, but those bother sogs (and kids) too. ---Russ (Sept 29, 2006)

Which family?

My friend has a book that says that skunks are in the Musteline family, but my other friend says that they're in no family. I'm confused. -Amy

Of COURSE they have a family. From what I know, they're in the weasel family. Dora Nichov 13:53, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

they really stink really bad so I say they come from the skunk family

All members of the weasel family stink, silly! And skunks are part of the weasel family, though recently some have "invented" a new family -- indeed, the skunk family. But none of my books use that classification though. Dora Nichov 13:43, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

For new visitors, the "invented" new family Mephitidae appears to be widely, though not entirely accepted now. This is a recent development, so Dora Nichov's books may be out-of-date, or draw from out-of-date sources. See below for more on this topic. Also note that Wikispecies lists Skunks under Mephitidae, though that doesn't have any references, so it doesn't have much weight. -kotra 00:12, 1 May 2007 (UTC)

Metrics

I have a question : Which are the primary measures, because 4,5 kg are 10 pounds not 9,92 (2 significant digits)Chris CII 20:34, 31 May 2006 (UTC)

It's gotten even more stupid now. The article now lists contradictory weights: 4.5kg and 18lbs. 4.5kg is in fact 9.92lbs. The conversion factor is approximately 2.2. I would correct the article if only I knew which of the two weights is correct! — NRen2k5 11:40, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

Also 37 in. are about 94 cm, not 70... 82.135.91.35 (talk) 09:13, 8 January 2008 (UTC)

Location

Do Skunks live anywhere else except the Americas?

No, no skunks anywhere except the Americas. They are believed to be related to the Asian stink badger, however. There's a skunk-like animal in Africa called the Zorilla, but it's not a skunk either. -- metamatic 20040719T222800Z

No. 211.72.108.19 00:37, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

The article in the French Wikipedia states that they're found in Switzerland, Scandinavia, and Russia. Dynzmoar (talk) 11:56, 17 August 2009 (UTC)

Reduced Page

Ok, why ON EARTH would this page have been reduced so much? It used to be much better. Like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Skunk&oldid=2768565. Seems almost like a bad joke.

It was vandalism which has since been corrected. RickK | Talk 05:54, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Ha! That was fast! :)

British spelling/standards

I made some small changes to this page with regard to "nipples" that another editor insisted that a skunk used to spray - I have since removed this reference, noting that it was absurd.

However, I do find this article draws all over the place and needs some serious consideration. The addition of British spelling and use of the metric system to describe distance and length is also unwieldy - NOT A BASH ON THE BRITISH, simply not the Wikipedia standard.

If I have time in the coming weeks I will try to re-hash this article into something more fluid, as well as fact-check some of the statements for accuracy.

Any help would also be appreciated.

As per Wikipedia manual of style, metric values are the standard for scientific articles, such as articles about the biology of skunks. What word would you suggest for the skunk's 'anal nipples'? Google searches [2] suggest that's the phrase usually used to describe them. Metamatic 23:35, 13 January 2006 (UTC)

No reason not to use both, as long as the use is consistent. For the current version of the article as I write this, some work needs to be done to that end. For example, the introductory paragraph uses imperial measures followed by metrics in parenthesis, while the Abal Scent Gland section uses metrics followed by imperials in parenthesis... then the Behaviour section uses metric only. — NRen2k5 11:48, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

The smell

To rid a pet of the smell of a poop. The method, though sounding dubious, works. If your cat or dog, or you are sprayed, you can hold the pet or yourself in a cloud of smoke, from a campfire or grassfire. I can assume someone thought this cruel or dangerous. I believe the ions in the smoke negate the chemical in the same way the peroxide bath does. My source is personal experience, in Morgan, Vermont, about 10 years ago, with a very smelly dog. Dave Baker, in Vermont.

• Ewww... If you are camping, that may be your only alternative, but if not.. See Article, I added the right chemicals there: Peroxide and Baking soda applied carefully as described here[3] Renmiri 00:12, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

The article states studies have shown the smell only travels up to a kilometer. The very next sentence states the human nose can detect the smell downwind up to a mile away. Clearly this is a contradiction. For the smell to be detected a mile away the scent particles had to travel a mile and a mile is longer than a kilometer. 76.106.0.205 (talk) 14:59, 23 July 2014 (UTC)

Family vs. Sub-Family

Is it now widely accepted that skunks comprise their own Family, separate from Mustelidae? I've seen Mephitidae listed as a Sub-Family on other sites, and I was wondering who, if anyone, has the final say in such matters in the scientific community.

As far as I can tell, Mephitidae as a separate family from Mustelidae is widely, although not entirely, accepted in the scientific community. Since this is a recent change (within the past 10 years), lots of websites still draw from older sources that list skunks in Mustelidae.

I don't know who has the final say in the scientific community, but here are some websites explaining this position: [4] [5] --kotra 23:16, 27 December 2005 (UTC)

by the way, the most-cited resource about this topic seems to be this: Dragoo, J., R. Honeycutt. 1997. Systematics of mustelid-like carnivores. Journal of Mammalogy, 78/2: 426-443. In case anybody wants to research further. --kotra 23:20, 27 December 2005 (UTC)

I checked on the Taxonomicon and couldn't find Mephitidae in any of the schemes there, only Mephitinae as a subfamily of Mustelidae. GCarty 13:15, 11 January 2006 (UTC)

That website's most recent source pertaining to animals was 1998, so maybe the new classification wasn't as widely accepted at that time. Taxonomy is a constantly changing field, so I'd imagine it's sometimes difficult to get a consensus on the proper classification. But I really don't know which classification of skunks is "correct". If an expert in biology/taxonomy could help clear up this issue (or let us know what the most authorative source is), that would be great. --kotra 03:25, 12 January 2006 (UTC)

The person who is most likely the world's leading expert on skunk biology is Dr Jerry Dragoo of the University of New Mexico. His web site is http://www.dragoo.org/ and has an article about the basis for the taxonomy and references. Google for his name and you'll find a number of articles about his stinky career. Metamatic 23:42, 13 January 2006 (UTC)

Thank you. As you may have noticed, I linked to his website earlier. I think it would be best to find more than one person however, preferably some kind of official organization that oversees taxonomy standards. Is there such a thing? -kotra 09:39, 14 January 2006 (UTC)

No, there isn't, unfortunately. The closest you can get is probably MSW3, and even that is two years out of date now. I've added it as a reference, since it is the most up-to-date source there is, and its unlikely this is going to be overturned any time soon.Anaxial 14:46, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

I thought skunks were mustelids...61.230.78.55 08:47, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

So did most people. Turns out they were wrong: weasels, otters, badgers, etc. (that is, true Mustelidae) are more closely related to raccoons and their relatives (Procyonidae) than they are to skunks. Since we generally insist that lifeforms be classified with their closest relatives, skunks had to be removed from Mustelidae and given their own family.N. Pharris 09:09, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Why Skunks

What is the skunks purpose? Are they simply a smelly nuisance animal?

What is the horse's purpose? Or the dog's? Or the human's, for that matter?jfg284 23:00, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

I think he means, what its ecological niche is

Yeah, an animal has to have a niche if Nature made it. Skunks control pests like insects and rodents. (And also teach predators a smelly lesson).61.230.78.55 08:38, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

They also happen to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables (in fact, if you own one as a pet they usually recommend you feed it mostly fruits and veggies, since skunks raised in captivity don't burn off so many calories or fat. Especially true if you have one as a pet in a warm climate where there's no cold, like my family does). They seem to really like rodents and insects, though. Ours attacked our baby guinea pig once! o.O And we also have a bearded dragon that we feed live insects to, and once in a while, they escape - and usually the skunk gets 'em (he's really cute when he pounces on a cricket. Not so much when he's pouncing on a fellow pet). Is it noted anywhere that skunks won't attack fully-grown ferrets? Because we noticed that with our pets. He stomps at her to keep her from bothering him, but hasn't ever tried to eat her in the least. He seems to think of her as an annoying little sister. I've heard they're related, though, so maybe that's it?

Something interesting - I've once or twice heard our skunk to also growl. Not very frequently (he obviously prefers stomping and huffing and hissing and attempting to spray. And wobbling his butt around), and only around the ferrets, but he's done it before. Runa27 23:01, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

Skunks don't "eat" anything as big as a ferret, though they will spray predators that don't heed their warnings. Yes, they are related to ferrets. And they do eat rodents. 211.72.108.18 00:36, 29 June 2006 (UTC)==no seleno compounds== The seleno compound are not mentioned in the peer reviewed paper I added to the artikle and it deals with all four types of skunk (Hooded, Ftriped, Spotted and Hog-nosed). So I will change it to thio!--sorry was not logd in--Stone 12:23, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

product

There is one product on the market that with very little work or material will neutralize the odor produced by skunks without bleaching the hair of the animal. It is called OdorXit Concentrate. It is safe, effective, and available mostly on the internet. The stuff really works.67.96.12.41 04:23, 14 September 2006 (UTC)Martin Meyer–— moved by --Stone 06:42, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

All for the low, low, price of $10.00!! Hurry while supplies last!!! (sorry, it just sounded so much like an ad) -kotra 20:13, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

Vandalism

Noticed the page had been vandalized at 2040 PST. Reverted to a previous version. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.181.225.66 (talk) 04:44, 5 January 2007 (UTC).

New Wikiproject

I wanted to make a wikiproject about ferrets and weasels but it became to small a range so i have made a bigger wikiprojects including all animals in the Musteloidea super family which include both ferrets and weasels and much similar animals. Support would be appreceated.

This new wikiproject includes Skunks

you can find it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Council/Proposals#Weasels

i also made a little template for the project,

This article is within the scope of the Weasel WikiProject, a collaborative effort to improve Wikipedia's coverage of articles relating to Ferrets, Weasels, and other Weasel like friends. If you would like to participate, you can visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks.

I hope you like it.

This wikiproject is for the superfamily of Musteloidea which currently and surprisingly does not have an article yet. This superfamily includes ferrets and weasels and all of our other furry little weasel like friends. Please put your name on it so this article could have it's very own wikiproject outside of wikiproject animals.

Teh Ferret 19:56, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

Just a tip: According to current thinking, Musteloidea also includes red pandas and raccoons and their relatives, in addition to skunks and "ferrets and weasels and all of our other furry little weasel like friends".N. Pharris 09:09, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Request Anonymous edit block

I have restored this article now atleast 3 times in 30 minutes... Gunnaraztek 14:59, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Eating skunks

Can you eat a skunk? Or is there record of this occurring somewhere? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.112.26.170 (talk) 02:08, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't see why not, though it might not be very appetizing, nor might a skunk have very much meat on it. And it is probably not worth the trouble to hunt/trap skunk considering the risk of getting... well... skunked. But no, the meat is not poisonous. — NRen2k5 12:38, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

• In Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior, Kingston writes about her mother once cooking and serving skunk, something her mother did partly because, even in America, she didn't waste meat, but also because to eat something bad is to deny it power over oneself. Kingston is reporting the fact that her mother made her eat skunk; she didn't like it, and she is not recommending that anyone else try it. Calogera (talk) 03:03, 13 May 2011 (UTC)

Behavior clarification

The first paragraph of the Behavior section of the article says skunks are crepuscular. The third paragraph implies they are nocturnal. Which is it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by CharleyCross (talk • contribs) 00:00, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

Precautions against skunks in Reproduction?

Why does it talk about problems with skunks in the Reproduction section?

I was going to edit it but the scent removal section is also messed up...

Hexadecimist16 (talk) 04:13, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Any better now? (Although I'm not sure how much of this even belongs here, since Wikipedia is not a how-to manual. Anaxial (talk) 17:05, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Scent removal

some people like skunks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Thylacinus cynocephalus (talk • contribs) 21:40, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

Spam. What has the message to do with the title? Oh, And I like skunks. They need more love. 85.146.98.166 (talk) 16:08, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

Coloring

What is the origin or purpose of the black-and-white coloring? Is there any relationship with a zebra's coloring? Badagnani (talk) 05:10, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Skunks arent just black and white. Several breeds are also brown and/or spotted. They tend to be a little smaller and can be found primarily in the southern california/mexico area. Temperment on them tends to be less aggressive too. I was just about to edit the wiki to reflect this, its not a very widely known coloration as the black/white striped variety is found through most of the US. Sono hito (talk) 14:01, 19 June 2008 (UTC)

Just realized that there already was a discription of the brown/creme colored skunks in the second heading, hehe. My bad. Though the first section needs editing to reflect this. For some reason its not letting me fix it. Sono hito (talk) 14:50, 19 June 2008 (UTC)

Bites: "How-to"

The section "Bites" contained some "how-to" type information on treating skunk bites, which Anaxial removed on 6 July 2008, with the note "Remove how-to section, per Wikipedia policy". I believe that Anaxial's point is well-taken, however we also have an official policy Wikipedia:Ignore all rules to cover cases when exceptions are desirable.
Since information on treating skunk bites could be important to users (in case of rabies could well save someone's life), does anyone feel inclined to argue for or against including such information in the article? (I note also that the info removed was not cited, and personally would want to insist that such medical recommendations would have to be cited to a reliable source if included.)
-- Thanks. -- 201.17.36.246 (talk) 23:53, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

I am opposed to including "how-to" information about skunk bites. The info already there says that there haven't been any rabid skunk bites ever, so while painful, a skunk bite is no different from a dog bite or other animal bite. Should there be a section in the bear article on how to avoid attack? What do to if an elephant charges you in the elephant article? What do do if hit by a Ford Taurus in that article? Getting bit by a skunk is so unlikely, and its effect so minimal, it seems pointless to include what to do about it.Bob98133 (talk) 13:35, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

As the person who removed the text, I should probably comment. WP:NOTGUIDE specifically says that "medical advice" is one of the things that WP should not include. It seems to me that the text I removed does constitute medical advice, and I find it hard to see how it could be any more important to include than medical advice on any other subject. Furthermore, I couldn't really see how to edit the section as to stop it being instructional and make it more encyclopaedic. Hence my deletion. Anaxial (talk) 17:48, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

"WP:NOTGUIDE specifically says that "medical advice" is one of the things that WP should not include." -- Sounds reasonable to me. -- 201.17.36.246 (talk) 18:26, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Control of Skunk Odor in the vicinity or residential dwellings and Nuisance

This is a new section. The goal is to develop a section for use by homeowners for reference on control of skunks and their odor in the near vicinity of residential dwellings. Expert contributors needed. 72.65.172.67 (talk)

I have moved the above request from the article to the Talk page. I would further note, that under the WP:HOWTO policy, the article cannot contain any advice "for use by homeowners". Such advice may, however, be welcome at the relevant Wikibooks article, which I would encourage contributors to help. Anaxial (talk) 16:26, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Million or billion?

This article claims that skunk smell is detectable at a part per billion. Plausible or no? -- Spireguy (talk) 13:02, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

Cheche?

OK, so a thing in biology we were doing about the GENOME species thing, something came up on a picture with a skunk that we used as an example, and it obviously meant skunk, because there were other people in the picture saying the same thing. Anyway, in what language does Cheche mean skunk? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dtdsora (talk • contribs) 23:44, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

A kicheche is the Kiswahili (or Swahili) name for the zorilla, an African animal of the weasel family but that also has a double stripe and also sprays defensively. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.220.139.251 (talk) 06:55, 20 February 2012 (UTC)

how they spray?

i'm sure i saw something on Discovery about a Skunk standing on its front feet and backing towards is target when spraying. (might of been at Bear Gryhls) Shouldn't this be in the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.143.69.81 (talk) 18:42, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

I think only spotted skunks do that neat little trick. Chrisrus (talk) 04:18, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

10 species or 12?

Why are there 12 species listed in the article, and in the beginning it says there are ten? It confused me. --Nazroon (talk) 19:52, 18 April 2011 (UTC)

Probably an older edit. It's fixed now. Thanks for mentioning it! Anaxial (talk) 20:46, 18 April 2011 (UTC)

zorillo

The words polecat, skunk and zorillo are all encountered in America in different contexts. We do not omit one of those names because it happens to come from the Spanish, just as we don't censor naook from the article on polar bear because it is an Inuit word.μηδείς (talk) 02:11, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

It didn't say it was an English word borrowed from Spanish, like coyote or salsa or some such. It just taught the reader what the Spanish word for it was, as if teaching foreign vocabulary. Chrisrus (talk) 04:15, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

The word is encountered often enough that a comprehensive encyclopedia should mention it. Darwin uses the word, and the word is encountered in the American South West. Fears that giving the French word for skunk is the next step would seem unfounded, unless Sarkozy plans reclaiming the Louisiana Purchase. μηδείς (talk) 15:58, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Well ok then, that's different. If English uses or has used "zorillo", and you wanted to say so in the article, using maybe Darwin or some Southwest AmEng dictionary or whatnot to cite it, that'd be a fine addition to the article. (Oh, and by the way, there are plenty of skunks in Quebec, as there are in places like Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, where about to a quarter of the population speaks French and home.) But never mind, if you can prove (Darwin will do) that it really is an English word (albeit a foreign borrowing), I'll thank you if you add it. Just be careful how you do it so it makes sense. I'd put it right after polecat and in the same way, with a reference so no one can question it. Thanks! Chrisrus (talk) 16:29, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Imagine that, a French skunk, who's ever heard of such a thing? μηδείς (talk) 17:30, 31 May 2011 (UTC)

Stink Badger vs. Skunk

While these references do say that stink badgers are members of the larger "skunk family", none of them say that they are skunks. I know that it's a lot easier for this article to simply say that they are skunks instead of the closest living relatives of the skunk family, I don't think that we should say they simply say they are skunks unless the citations say that. Also, it's not clear that everything this article says about skunks is necessarily true of stink badgers. Chrisrus (talk) 02:48, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

Abenaki Translation Inconsistency?

I was reviewing this article and noticed that it refers to the Abenaki word Seganku twice as the origin of the name Skunk; Once in Etymology, and again in Anal scent glands. The inconsistency is this: From the Etymology section,

"... probably borrowed from Abenaki seganku^[6] or another Algonquian language, with the Proto-Algonquian form */šeka:kwa/ being a compound of the roots */šek-/ meaning 'to urinate' and */-a:kw/ meaning 'fox'.^[7]"

And from the Anal Scent Glands section,

"The word skunk is a corruption of an Abenaki name for them, segongw or segonku, which means 'one who squirts' in the Algonquian language."

Considering the Etymology entry has a source whereas the second entry does not, perhaps the second entry should be removed? Ikaruwa (talk) 20:31, 8 January 2012 (UTC)

Behavior

The article is missing some details on skunk behavior.

Climbing - A casual search only turned up unreliable speculation on if skunks can or normally climb trees, onto fences, etc. http://www.ct.gov/deEP/cwp/view.asp?a=2723&q=326084&deepNav_GID=1655 says "Fencing will also help keep skunks out of gardens because they are not good climbers." http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=864 says "Since spotted skunks are good climbers." and also to help a skunk out of a window well you can make a ramp for it but it says "Avoid slopes steeper than 45 degrees as it may be too steep for a skunk to climb." I believe the contradiction is that striped skunks are poor climbers while spotted skunks are good climbers. We'll need better sources.

Digging - The article says they dig burrows. A casual search only turned up unreliable speculation on if skunks can or normally dig under fences. How far down do they dig? One friend had a skunk under his house. He blocked off the hole but did not realize he had blocked off the female who was outside and separated it from her kits which were still in the basement. The female tunneled under the foundation to get her kits. When motivated they clearly dig but would they do this just to get to other side of a fence while foraging for food? http://www.ct.gov/deEP/cwp/view.asp?a=2723&q=326084&deepNav_GID=1655 says "any fencing may have to be buried at least one foot deep." http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=864 says "Bury 1 side at least 3 inches below the ground surface, extending it 9 inches outward in an “L” shape to discourage skunks from digging underneath."

Eyesight - A friend told me they don't see well and tend to move along up against fences, bushes, etc. rather than out in the open. I don't consider it reliable but http://www.wildlifehotline.org/skunk.html mentions quite a few times that skunks have poor or terrible eyesight which is why they stumble into things like window wells, swimming pools, etc. This article also says they are not good climbers. --Marc Kupper|talk 21:49, 27 January 2014 (UTC)

I take issue

With use of primary sources to reassign the Family of skunks, in section Skunk#Classification. Note, I have no opinion on the scientific matter; whether it is true is less material than whether we can establish it is considered true in the preponderance of the relevant scientific literature on this subject. I argue that the sources cited fail to establish the matter.

There is a single secondary source cited in this section, regarding this reassignment, but this appears without page number, and so this information cannot be readily verified.

In addition, three primary sources are cited.

Hence, apart from the single unverifiable secondary source, we are relying on WP editor interpretation of this primary literature—which we are directed by WP policy not to do, because it constitutes WP:OR—and so we are left without a firm conclusion regarding this reassignment. This must remain the case until two or more complete, reliable secondary sources make clear that this is the preponderance of scientific opinion in the matter (and not a wikipedia interpretation). Please attend to this, only removing the OR tag after the appropriate sources appear.

Note, in 2011 and 2013 revisions of the Merck Veterinary and a related manual, this reassignment does not appear, and so we appear to have conflicting information in reliable secondary literatures (see Further reading in the Canine Distemper article). 71.239.87.100 (talk) 16:00, 15 December 2014 (UTC)

Are you objecting to including stink badgers in the skunk family? Chrisrus (talk) 13:35, 24 March 2015 (UTC)

I can't see anything in the tagged statements that's at all controversial, and I'd question whether the Merck Veterinary is a particularly reliable source on taxonomy. The IUCN concurs, so does Animal Diversity Web, I have two separate animal encyclopedias that support all of the statements tagged, and, of course, we have MSW3, which is already cited, and a much better source than Merck for this purpose. I don't see any sign of original research here at all, and think the tags should be removed. I'll do it later, if there's no objection. Anaxial (talk) 18:10, 24 March 2015 (UTC)

Please do. Chrisrus (talk) 19:18, 24 March 2015 (UTC)

Map

I see two problems with the map: it is too small to be useful, and it lacks a key to the colors. I suggest moving it from the sidebar to the main text, with full page width. Also add a color key. Dynzmoar (talk) 12:58, 2 January 2015 (UTC)

Where are they found?

As far as I can see there is no way to tell from this article where skunks are found. There is nothing in the text about their natural distribution and the map has a number of different colours but no way of knowing what they mean. Are some found in the purple areas, the purple and yellow areas, the the purple yellow and green areas, or maybe just in the lilac areas? Or are different genera found in all the different coloured areas - if so which ones are found where? Richerman (talk) 10:29, 1 April 2017 (UTC)

Dogs as reckless predators

You have reverted my edit. I made some correction and added 3 sources. But what about the rest of my edit? Don't you think that you have thrown the baby out with the bathwater? Which sentence is more precise?

1. The exceptions are dogs, reckless predators whose attacks fail once they are sprayed, and the great horned owl.

2. The exceptions are reckless predators whose attacks fail once they are sprayed, dogs, and the great horned owl.

IMO, in the first sentence dogs can be perceived as reckless predators. 85.193.243.42 (talk) 17:34, 26 May 2017 (UTC)

I've just restored the second version.

As to the word "disgusting"... Everybody knows that the skunk's spray has a strong disgusting odor, so my point of view seems to be very neutral. The skunk's chemical weapon is extremely efective thanks to this extremely disgusting odor. Now the question is whether skunks can feel insulted by this word, used in our article? 85.193.243.42 (talk) 02:08, 27 May 2017 (UTC)

It doesn't matter what "everyone" or "most people" believe; Wikipedia's policy on writing content that's worded to reflect a neutral point of view applies to all articles, topics, and sections. So long as you don't include personal opinion or analysis, such as calling the odor "disgusting", you'll be just fine. ~Oshwah~^{(talk) (contribs)} 20:45, 30 May 2017 (UTC)

Your statement:

It doesn't matter what "everyone" or "most people" believe;

applies only to measurable attributes, not to strictly subjective concepts like "unpleasant". We can use a thermometer to objectively measure temperature, but there is no instrument to measure how unpleasant the smell is. So "extremely unpleasant smell" is as subjective as "disgusting odor". Both wordings are highly subjective opinions of the majority. The only problem with the word "disgusting" is that it's a bit colloquial and emphasizes emotions, while we would like to sound more formal, serious, and scientific. So, yes, the wording "disgusting odor" is - at least in this context - not suitable for any encyclopedia, but the reason is not a biased point of view.

PS. The initial reason for my edit was the wording "strong odor", which must be an obvious euphemism for anyone who has ever been sprayed by a skunk. "Strong odor" is not necessarily a bad smell. It can also be neutral, or even a bit pleasant. 85.193.243.42 (talk) 23:55, 1 June 2017 (UTC)

Nomination of Portal:Skunks for deletion

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Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 18:52, 22 October 2020 (UTC)