What makes a skunk smell?

Skunk

A skunk is a small creature famous for its unpleasant odor.  It is about the size of a can and has distinctive black and white markings.

Skunks can’t run fast, but they can protect themselves from their enemies by spraying a smelly liquid, which the skunk stores in special scent glands near its tail.  When frightened, the skunk can squirt a fine spray as far as 10 feet.

But the skunk doesn’t “strike” without warning.  It turns its back to the intruder, raises its busy tail, and stamps its feet, so you have plenty of time to get away.

If this fair warning is not heeded, the skunk will use its last means of protection, the evil-smelling spray.

The spray is so strong that it is hard to breathe when you are near it.

Skunks themselves are friendly little animals, and make playful pets when their accept glands are removed.

Aside from an occasional raid on the chicken roast, skunks are really helpful to man since they eat insects, rats, mice and other rodents that damage farm crops.

 

Photo courtesy: karthik3685  

 

What is a chipmunk?

A chipmunk is a friendly, chattering little animal that looks like its cousin the ground squirrel.

A chipmunk is smaller, though, and is easily recognized by the light and dark stripes running down its back.

Chipmunks live in the forests or forest edges in parts of North America and Asia.

The chipmunk’s home is a burrow dug in the ground, it contains storerooms and a leaf-lined nest.

Curing the day, the lively little creatures scamper about the ground looking for seeds and nuts to eat.  They have inner cheek pouches which they can stuff with food.

People often feed chipmunks for the fun of seeing them fill their cheeks.  When they are filled with a load of seeds, each cheek may swell to the size of the head itself.

Chipmunks sleep through much of the winter.  But they store food in their burrows to eat during the winter lust in case they should wake up hungry.

Visual courtesy:  countrylivingskills