WOLVERINES AND SKUNKS

WOLVERINE

SKUNK

The wolverine and skunks are part of the weasel family. However, they two species are not related with each other. Skunks are known and famous for their foul smell they produce when threatened. The wolverine is known as the most powerful of all mammals of that size.

The skunk has 13 different species divided into three genera. The wolverine is one species. The wolverine and the skunk are only found in America.

SKUNK

The skunk living in a variety of habitats such as woodlands, farmland, grassy plains, deserts, rocky shrub-land, even suburban areas. They are to be found from Central America right down to South America.

The Skunk is smaller and lighter but has stocky bodies, short limbs and broad feet with strong claws. The very impressive black-and-white coat can be different between species. The common species, the white striped skunk, generally a white stripe on its forehead which forks out                                                                                                            from the nape of the back. The tail                                                                                                                can be black, white or a mixture.

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Most Skunks are sociable amongst each other and share a territory or sometimes even the dens. Their dens are mostly underground burrows with many chambers and entrances. The spotted skunk has been seen to build a nest in a hollow of a tree. Most of the species are hunters in the night but the spotted skunk is very active at the twilight.

In the north, the striped skunk is in the winter in a torpid state. It is not a complete hibernation but it stays in the burrow for up to 100 days.

The skunks are carnivorous animals. They feed on small mammals, amphibians, insects, grubs, and birds' eggs. Also a variety of vegetables and berries. The hog-nosed skunk is equipped with an, bae, broad, elongated nose pad which helps to rooting in the undergrowth for insects.

The skunk, like the rest of the weasel family, has delayed implantation of the fertilized egg. The mating season of most of the skunks is from February to April. The true gestations only 42-62 days and they give birth from April to June. The spotted skunk living in the western part mate from September to October and they still give birth from late spring to summer because of the delayed implantation of the fertilized eggs.

They can have up to 10 babies but the unusual number is four to five. The babies open their eyes after three weeks or four. By that time they usual have their adult colour. They get weaned after eight to ten weeks and are fully grown at about four months. The young ones separate in the autumn from their mother and start breeding when they are one year old.

The wolverine is the largest of the weasel family. It is more a small bear in appearances. Its head is large and has a pointed muzzle and small round ears. The body is bulky and covered with soft, dense, brown hair, a short tail and short but strong limbs. The bear-like paws and feet are equipped with strong claws.

WOLVERINE

Wolverines have an enormous territory. Nearly up to 1000sqkm. Some of the males have even more. Part of their territory is defended as their private place. The female maybe found in the male territory in the winter. A single female, however, will defend her private area which could be up to 350sqkm during the time she is raring her young in spring and summer. The territory is marked with urine, faces as well as secretion from abdominal or ventral gland.

The wolverine in its territory shelters in a den which is in caves, large rock crevices or under fallen tees. It makes rough bed there from leaves and grass. It hunts mostly in the night but sometime it also can be seen in the day. It covers great distances, up to 45km, to find food. Although it is quite heavy built it can keep a steady gallop for up to 10km

The wolverine mates from April to September and they give birth in January to April. The true time of gestation is only 30-40 days. Two to five pubs are born and they are blind. The female digs a den under the snow. They get weaned after two months and separate from the mother in late autumn. They don't reach adulthood till they are one year old and then they move 30-100km away from the mother to find their own territory.

It is ferocious and powerful, well above its size.   

In the 19th century the wolverine were very much on decline because of fur-trapping and also loss of habitat