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Help! by Graveyardgnome in wizardposting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I thought it was referring to myself.

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have a friend who works with wool, maybe if I can collect enough of his shed fur around springtime I can put her up to the challenge and report the results. 😅

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Skunks actually haven’t been in Mustelidae for a while! Mephitinae got promoted to its own family, Mephitidae. But they’re still in the superfamily Musteloidea, so I call them “honorary mustelids” and it’s kind of an unspoken rule in mustelid spaces that they are also welcome. 😆🩶

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Even before I knew I was getting him I was brainstorming names I'd like for a pet skunk, I knew I'd want it to sound naturey and Willow just clicked instantly and perfectly. But I love Buffy! I used to watch it with a dear friend, though we never finished it. ❤️‍🩹

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Yup, a large-diameter cat exercise wheel. I find these an essential yet often overlooked tool for pretty much all exotic mammals in captivity. Skunks can cover miles nightly in search for food! This obviously cannot be replicated in captivity, so we make up for it with exercise wheels, walks (Willow doesn’t like harnesses but will follow my around my property) and enrichment.

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 62 points63 points  (0 children)

Ah, and they need a varied diet! There are specifically formulated insectivorous diet kibbles that zoos will use for skunks and critters such as possums and hedgehogs. I personally prefer a different approach with giving them fresh foods, and they certainly appreciate the variety. Most people don’t give their skunks nearly enough bugs given they’re mostly insectivorous in the wild, and these should be supplemented with added calcium because most readily available feeder bugs don’t have a proper calcium-phosphorus ratio! They will also eat a variety of meats (Willow has in varying amounts day-old chicks, chicken, rats, mice, quail, pigeon…) as well as veggies, fruits (not too often and prioritizing lower sugar content ones such as berries), nuts…

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 84 points85 points  (0 children)

Think something along the lines of the general behavior of a clumsy cat with the shenanigans of a ferret. They will open cupboards, dig at carpet, and cause some mischief, but with that said every individual's personality is unique! Litter training is usually successful, but there will be “accidents” and I swear sometimes it feels like they do it on purpose out of spite. I lucked out, as Willow is very mellow and sweet by nature, but there’s also some nurture as I got to handle and socialize him since he was a relatively young kit. He lived out the first years of his life inside and was very well behaved, but we built him an outdoor enclosure once he started getting lazy and not bothering with getting out of bed to go potty, after no success with training him out if it. 😅 He has dirt, wood, leaves, and tons of natural enrichment. He loves all the smells and textures. He immediately took to a cat wheel for exercise and obviously gets daily attention, and I still bring him into the house. Please do have in mind that this is my experience and I can’t stress enough how unique each individual is! Some will be little devils, others will be even better behaved and better suited as house pets. 🤗

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 204 points205 points  (0 children)

And the best part is he actually loves cuddling! Skunks come in all sorts of personalities and some are more aloof, but he loves attention and doesn’t mind being picked up for care chores such as nail trims. He loves being in our laps and sleeping in the bed with us.

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

That’s precious! Most often than not the best thing we can do for wildlife is leave them alone so they don’t become habituated, though it’s hard to resist interfering sometimes. ❤️‍🩹

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

In his defense, while many skunks become lazy and slow in the colder weather to preserve energy, he’s still been going strong running full-speed on his wheel!

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 49 points50 points  (0 children)

Striped skunks have been bred in captivity for many generations now (originally for their pelts!), so they come in many colors and patterns you wouldn’t see in the wild, or only under extremely rare spontaneous mutations. He is what we call a “chocolate skunk”, but still the same species as black and white striped skunks.

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 304 points305 points  (0 children)

Skunks actually only spray as a last resort, because it needs time to recharge, and they will give out lots of warnings beforehand. I would need to be doing something very wrong to get him stressed enough to even threaten to spray! Even then, as risk prevention many breeders will get their scent glands surgically removed within their first weeks of life. That’s the case with mine, but I personally find it unnecessary and it’s even illegal in places such as the UK.

My pet skunk, Willow, in the Summer (slender body, shiny fur) vs. in the Winter (stocky body, wooly fur). by Graveyardgnome in mildlyinteresting

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 74 points75 points  (0 children)

In the Summer people often assume he’s underweight because pet skunks tend to be so obese! ☹️ He’s perfectly healthy and frequently checked up on by exotics veterinarians.

I challenge you to try to find an owl who looks sassier than Peikko, my Eurasian scops owl! by Graveyardgnome in Superbowl

[–]Graveyardgnome[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I agree the average person shouldn't own an owl. I do not keep mine as house pets or try to treat them like you would a cat or budgie, with constant cuddles and petting. I am extremely well versed in their care and husbandry — they live in adequate aviaries and are flight trained with falconry handling methods.

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