A few days ago, I watched a portly skunk canter across the full 100 foot length of my backyard. Then it paused, dug around in my compost pile for a decaying treat, and loped back the way it came. It stopped halfway, munched on the composted goodie, and then continued, disappearing behind the shed in my yard’s corner.
I wasn’t happy. At least the loan appraiser wasn’t here to witness the skunk’s aerobic workout and carb loading. The appraiser would be coming by later, and I didn’t want to speculate how he would devalue an infestation of skunks against our property values.
I was determined to thwart the skunk ASAP. I raced out the door but slowed when more than a hint of musk drifted by. Not as stinky as an attack, but it was more than a fart.
I retreated to the compost pile, and took a skunk’s eye view of its trek, pictured below.
I gingerly approached the shed, which smelled skunky, and cleared out the cubic yard of junk I am too lazy to throw away. Aha!
We had torrential rains a year ago, and temporary streams washed through this same area for days. I’m thinking that winter’s erosion gave the skunks a head-start on their effort to overcome the Darien Gap at my fenceline in their suburban neighborhood critter freeway system.
I’ve since blocked that particular freeway ramp with large paving stones, but I suspect the skunks have been here more than I thought.
I believe my little guest is the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) because of its two-foot length. Its tolerance of human activity borders on indifference, compared to the smaller, wilder spotted skunk (polecat). Skunks are found throughout the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere, mainly in lowland areas and open fields, and even suburban and urban locations, especially near water.
I’d suspected that was a big mama skunk carrying food back to the nest but it’s too early for their April-May birthings. Skunks are mostly nocturnal, so I dunno why this one was up after sunrise; maybe it was just real hungry.
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