Skunk in Winter
// February 1st, 2012 // No Comments » // Boreal Forest, Canadian Shield, Mammals, Recent Posts, Rodents, Whiteshell Provincial Park, Winter
You could not miss seeing this black and white striped skunk out for a walk on a sunny and warm winter day. They are normally nocturnal so I am not sure why this one was on a walk about during mid-day. It was walking along and rooting under the snow here and there in search of food. These photos were taken in the Pinawa area. About the size of a domestic cat, skunks won’t bother you unless they feel threatened and it is very wise not to annoy them. In all fairness to the skunk their body language will give you warning if you are too close. Their diets consists mainly of insects and they do eat small rodents as well. Sometimes in more rural areas skunks will damage lawns by digging for food. I especially love the baby skunks and they are adorable reminding me of kittens following along behind their mother. One campground in the Whiteshell that I frequented had many skunks which would appear with the onset of dusk and they wandered around the campsites in search of food. They were so used to people and being fed that they were almost like the campground pets. One walked right under my camp chair one night on its way to the lakeshore for a drink of water. I enjoyed watching them wander about without feeling threatened.
Enjoy!
~Sharon
