Skunk

True Wild Life | Skunk | The skunk (also known as the polecat) are most commonly known for their ability to secrete a foul, strong smelling odor from their rear end, when the skunk feels that it is under threat. There are 11 known species of skunk in the world, with most of these skunk species inhabiting the American continent. Two of these skunk species are found in Indonesia and the Philippines. The colour of the skunk can vary from the typical black and white to grey, cream and even brown. However all skunks are striped and baby skunks are even born with their striped markings regardless of their colour.

The average skunk is between 40 and 70cm in height and weighs about the same as a domestic cat. The skunk hunts insects, small birds and mammals. Skunks also commonly eat berries, roots, grasses and fungi in order to supplement their diet. Baby skunks are born completely toothless and blind, with the eyes of the baby skunk not opening until the skunk is a few weeks old. The baby skunks are also unable to use their defensive spray when they are first born. The skunks spraying ability develops just before it's eyes open when the skunk is a couple of weeks old.

Skunks are generally solitary animals and only really come together to breed. In colder regions however, skunks have been known to inhabit communal burrows in order to try to keep each other warm. Most skunks hide in burrows during the day which the skunk digs out with it's long front claws. Although skunks have excellent smell and hearing, skunks are known to have very poor vision and can only see objects that are right in front of them. With the introduction of cars, numerous skunks have been killed on the roads as the skunks cannot see the cars coming towards them until it is too late.

Female skunks usually give birth to their babies in the hotter month of May after a gestation period of a couple of months. The female skunk gigs out a burrow in which to give birth to her skunk babies (kits) and the baby skunks will usually stay with their mother until they are about a year old and are old enough to mate themselves.

Badger

True Wild Life | Badger | Badgers are found living in the forests of Europe and western Asia, scavenging for roots and berries as well as worms and insects. Amazingly badgers can run up to 30km an hour for short periods of time and have been known to successfully fight off bigger mammals such as wolves, coyotes and bears. There have been occasional reports over the years of badgers being particularly aggressive towards dogs and even humans. The badger is capable of producing a painful bite, and some badgers are also known to carry a type of rabies.The most commonly known badgers are the white and black striped badgers in western Europe.

Badgers are thought to be related to otters and weasels and can often grow to nearly a meter in length. The badger lives in underground burrows which often contains a maze of tunnels. It is thought that when digging its den, the badger is capable of removing tonnes of soil. Badger is the common name for any animal of the badger three subfamilies, which belong to the family Mustelidae. This is the same mammal family as the ferrets, the weasels, the otters, and several other types of carnivore meaning that the badger is most closely related to these animals.

There are eight different species of badger, and these badger species are split into three badger subfamilies, the badgers of Europe and Asia, the Ratel badger or honey badger, and the American badger. The Asian stink badger was once classified as a badger but today this badger species is thought to be more closely related to the skunk than the badger.

Typical badger species have short legs and badgers also tend to have a relatively heavy build. The badgers lower jaw is articulated to the badgers upper jaw meaning that it is almost impossible to dislocate the badgers jaw. This enables the badger to maintain its hold on the badgers prey with great ease, but limits the badgers jaw movement to hinging opening and shutting or sliding from side to side.