Skunk

Skunks are small mammals with white and black fur, which are perhaps best known for the strong smelling defensive spray they emit when threatened.

They would be categorized into the family called Mephitidae. There are 11 species of skunks and also separated into 4 different groups. The first one is called Mephitis which are skunsk that hooded and striped. The second group is called Spilogale which are spotted skunks. Also there is a group called the Mydaus which are stink badgers. Last but not least there is the Conepatus which are hog-nosed skunks.

Anatomy
The most common kind of skunk white and black striped. Surprisingly, they have a cat-like body that nobody really sees. But they also have two stripes going down on each side of the body starting from the neck.

Reproduction
Skunks usually mate during the early spring or late winter. It varies by difference between skunk species. And the gestation times for skunks are usually about sixty to about seventy days. For the females to get ready, they need to create a den for their family. It needs enough room for the female, male, and four to six kits. And by three weeks they are finally out of the blindness, deafness, and soft layer of fur. They have think fur by that time. They stick around the female until its been a year for them to mate.

Ecology
Skunks are nocturnal which means they come out during the nighttime and they are very active. But in some cases, they are active during the day too. They more like sleep during a long period of winter and coldness. But that doesn’t mean that they hibernate. The females and males contradict each other during winter. The female would stay in the den and the male would be more active during the winter. Their den is usually close to water but always on dry land. Humans, canids, felids, mustelids and raptors want the skunks. They are known to be rabies or vectors which means that they have a fatal disease (a form of viral encephalitis) that is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal. 

Domestication
People can domesticate skunk at home it is legal in United Kingdom and some states of the United States. The family of skunk, Mephitidae always ar domesticated by human. Most of the domesticated skunk live 10years longer than wild skunk. They also remove their smells. When people domesticate skunk as a pet they will get one problem which is genetic problem. This problem comes from the genetic diversity.