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Creatures of the Night

Andrew | 06 November, 2007 09:08 | (207)

If it weren't for going out after dark, I wouldn't get out much at all this time of year. Dawn sleeps late, and I leave work under cover of darkness.

So, I've been bicycling with the aid of a headlight (and have learned to carry a back-up) on local trails, and I find I'm not alone. I see a few other cyclists, once in a while (and try to remember to give them a hand, to shield the glare of my headlight), and I nearly broadsided a pair of white-tailed deer one night in Groton, Mass.What I see most often, however, are skunks.

That maybe because of their coloring. Skunks show up pretty well at night, especially those with more white than black in their coat. What little I know about skunks comes from my own observations, and from the book "Owls Aren't Wise & Bats Aren't Blind," by Warner Shedd. It's a fun read. I'm nearly through it, and I expect I'll go back often. I learned, for instance, that skunks are members of the weasel family, cousin to the river otter, mink and fisher.

Shedd writes that it's unusual for humans to get sprayed themselves, probably because skunks have learned that we know better than to mess with them."The popular perception of skunks is that they're quick to unleash a blast of spray if disturbed. In fact, skunks are generally very reluctant to spray, and rarely react in haste unless danger seems sudden and imminent," Shedd writes.Contrary to what you might expect, he adds, a skunk that's about to let loose will turn and face its adversary. If a skunk turns toward you, raises its tail and arches its back, there may yet be time to back off.

I already knew that skunks are most active at night, and that they have no problem living amongst humans (lucky for them, since we persist in moving into their neighborhoods, pushing less adaptable residents toward oblivion).

I didn't know that they were fond of foraging along bicycle trails, but I've seen several there, most of them very near to houses. I had smelled skunk in Mine Falls Park before, and one recent evening I found one there. Clover, my canine companion, was home resting on the couch, thank goodness.This skunk seemed only slightly perturbed by my headlight, and shuffled further up the trail. I followed slowly, whistling tunelessly, hoping to convince the skunk to detour off to one side. The skunk, Mr. or Ms. I couldn't say, kept ambling up the trail, however, at a pace I could not abide.I have passed close by skunks on the Nashua River Rail Trail, if only because I was moving too fast to do otherwise. This trail wasn't wide enough for the two of us, however, and I caught myself grumbling at the skunk's obstinacy. I yielded, chuckling at the absurdity of my own complaint. The skunk most likely would have let me pass unscented, but I turned and went back a different route.Clover has basked many times in the aroma of Mephitis Mephitis (the skunk's formal name, Latin for "Stanky Stink"). I can only imagine that dogs would find skunk spray all the more sickening, with their vastly superior sense of smell, but apparently it's insufficiently repugnant to teach Clover to let them be. Perhaps she's not as smart as she looks. We have learned to our regret that there is no cure but time for a skunked dog. Dogs shed tomato juice and baking soda as a duck sheds water. Catsup clings better, but with no discernable effect beyond the mess. Repeated shampooing helps some, but the water only makes the smell worse (skunk scent is water-soluble, Shedd writes). Deodorizing spray helps mask whatever scent lingers on carpets or dog bedding, and the garage makes a good bedroom for a skunked dog, if it's not too cold.

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