Skunk question???

[JPReptiles]

Hi,

I have a skunk question.........

When a skunk has been decented does it still try to spray?

I know it does not have the ability to spray but im just curious to know if it would still try to?

John

[ichis-mom]

well ichis never tried to spray me so in my expiriance im going to so no but the best person to ask would be nerys as she has 7 and has worked with scented ones too

[Rain]

Mine looks like she'd spray if she could, but I'd imagine she doesnt know how as she's been without glands 99% of her life

[Mason]

every skunk i've met thusfar still does the "tail up back arched" spray pose if startled, threatened or introduced to soemthing new, granted i've only met about 10-15 of the critters but still..

[tillie]

Yes they will still go through the motions but should be unable to spray. Although Im not sure if they can still let out a little smell..Nerys...can you answer that for me cause Im interested in the answer too... can they let out a little smell when the tail is raised if they ve been descented?

[Nerys]

it depends on how they have been descented it seems...

some of the ones i have here.. teyah and pacer, do smell a little.. and only a whiff.. from the back end.. the other 5.. no.. nothing at all..

also, remember that skunks only spray as a last resort.. even a skunk is not keen on the smell.. the back to you and tail up is mostly only a display.. a threat if you like, that they might go further if provoked.. in the wild, most animals will back off at the threat display and therefore the skunk does not have to waste its precious fluid..

there is a biological "cost" if you like, for a skunk to refill the glands.. much in the same way there is with a venomous snake producing venom.. neither animal likes to waste its juice on something not worthwile.. and both can take time to re-arm.. during which time they are "defenceless" and so they won't waste it unless they really need to.

i am told, that adult skunks with full glands.. can sometimes leak a little when excited.. although that is just what i have been told, rather than what i have experienced personally..

N

[tillie]

Thanks Nerys, thats interesting, so a kit that has supposedly been descented will still raise its tail and let out a little whiff still? So how can you tell if its deff been descented apart from the full blown stink or cant you?

[JPReptiles]

Thanks for the information guys,

Was just curious to know.

John

[Emmaj]

Originally Posted by tillie

Thanks Nerys, thats interesting, so a kit that has supposedly been descented will still raise its tail and let out a little whiff still? So how can you tell if its deff been descented apart from the full blown stink or cant you?

LOL sorry im chuckling but i remember a story rory put somewhere about some skunks he had come in and they had been told they were desented but found out otherwise when they got unloaded on

im sat giggling like an idiot now cos the story did make me chuckle when i read it

[Nerys]

Originally Posted by tillie

Thanks Nerys, thats interesting, so a kit that has supposedly been descented will still raise its tail and let out a little whiff still? So how can you tell if its deff been descented apart from the full blown stink or cant you?

no, not really.. of the 7 i have here, 5 of them do not let out any whiff at all..

2 of the 5, smell a little stronger round the arse than the other 5 do.

one of these is the one that came from seb millar, born in july last year.. he was sold to me as descented by the people seb sold him to.

the other is teyah, she was still loaded when she was sold to the people in liverpool i got her from, they took her down and had her descented by someone in wales/west.

both pacer, from seb, and teyah have a slightly stronger whiff to their rears than do the other 5.. they do NOT raise their tails and let out a small spray tho.. its more that my nose can tell the difference between them and the others.

tillie.. i am guessing you are tillie with george II ?? supplied by seb this year?

just out of interest.. is he loaded or not? i cannot see whether he is or is not on maries site. you can pm the answer if you would rather.. i know Pacer was done post april last year..

as far as telling.. i know it can be hard.. a vet spayed an entire skunk near me, and had a look at the time to see if it was loaded or not.. and apparently could not tell either way.. a few weeks later she sprayed in her house, so we know she is definitley loaded now!

i would certainly be interested to know how some would prove a skunk was loaded or not.. unless it could be provoked into spraying.. and thats hardly fair on the animal..

Nerys