Mephitidae

Mephitidae

The mephitids (Mephitidae) are a family of omnivorous mammals known as skunks, skunks, >mapurites, skunks, epates or chingues. They are medium-sized animals, living mainly in America, with one genus in Southeast Asia.

Features and behavior

Its main characteristic feature is the strong and fetid odor that its olfactory glands secrete. This scent is emitted when the skunk feels threatened. Before emanation, the skunk adopts a different body position depending on the species: some raise their tail, while others raise their hind legs, resting only on their front legs. The emitted substance can easily reach 2 meters away. The duration of the odor after spraying is two weeks and one month if an anti-odor treatment is not followed. When a skunk dies, the smell will linger longer, as the meat rots, making the smell worse. In any case, when faced with threatening situations, all species emit a high-pitched sound, which they also produce when they stick to a surface. This allows them to protect themselves from predators.

The coat is basically bicolor, mostly presenting a design with a black background color on which white stripes or bands appear, which suggests that, like other species with similar patterns, they warn their aggressors of possessing some type of hidden defense. They are omnivorous, they can feed on insects as well as eggs, fruits, small mammals, birds and honey.

Females have a gestation period of 55 days and give birth to between 1 and 10 pups, which feed on their mother's milk for approximately 10 weeks.

Remedy against odor

An Illinois chemist has developed a formula that neutralizes skunk odor by changing the chemical composition of the thiols it contains.^{[citation needed]} For To recreate this formula, combine 1 pint of 3% hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide) with a tablespoon of detergent and 1/4 cup of baking soda. This solution can be applied to most surfaces; however, peroxide can bleach certain fabrics. This formula can also be applied to the coat of a dog that has been sprayed by a skunk.

The peroxide mixture works by oxidizing the thiols and changing their chemical composition. Because this mixture releases oxygen, it breaks down quickly and cannot be stored. The entire mixture should be used at one time and then discarded.

Build their own homes

Skunks live in burrows which they build for themselves. They have front legs that have very strong claws as their main characteristic, with which they have the option of being able to dig into the ground, and they start looking for food they need, such as insects or eggs, they can also build their burrows. with them. Male skunks generally have a very solitary life, they live in their burrows and are almost never in the company of other skunks, they only look for females when they have to reproduce, this happens especially at the end of winter and when spring it is starting.

Regarding the females, they opt for life together with their young, especially when winter times arrive, in which they remain locked in their burrow with them, and if they are very lucky, then it is possible that the male make the decision to stay with them.

Species according to the area in which they live

There are several species depending on the part of America where they live. In North and Central America, the long-tailed skunk is found, characterized by having only a white spot on its back. The narrow-fronted spotted skunk, which lives in Central America, and reaches countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Peru or Brazil. In Argentina you can find the brown skunk. And in Chile you can find the chingue and the chingue of Patagonia.

Habitat

They live in burrows that are dug by the females and during the winter, they spend a period of torpor, which does not reach complete hibernation.

Sometimes they share burrows dug by other species such as foxes and raccoons.

Genus and species

Previously they were considered a subfamily of the mustelids, until a DNA study (Dragoo [1] and Honeycutt, 1997, Journal of Mammalology, 78(2): 426-443), led to their reorganization into said family. According to Mammal Species of the World the family currently contains four genera and twelve species:

• Gender Conepatus
  • Conepatus chinga, chingue or zorrino.
  • Conepatus humboldtii, zorrino of Patagonia.
  • Conepatus leuconotus, eastern swine nose.
  • Conepatus semistriatus - Amazon zorrillo.
• Gender Mephitis (type)
  • Mephitis macroura, hoodie.
  • Mephitis mephitis, common or scratched.
• Gender Mydaus
  • Mydaus javanensisBad guy or teledu.
  • Mydaus marcheiPalawan's jersey.
• Gender Spilogale
  • Spilogale angustifrons, common mottled moth
  • Spilogale gracilis, western mottle.
  • Spilogale putorius, Eastern mottled.
  • Spilogale pygmaeaPygmy mutea.

In addition, the following fossil genera are known:

• Brachyopsigale † Hibbard, 1954
• Brachyprotoma † Brown, 1908
• Buisnictis† Hibbard, 1950
• Martinogale† Hall, 1930
• Mesomephitis † Petter, 1967
• Miomephitis † Dehm, 1950
• Nannomephitis † Kretzoi, 1952
• Osmotherium † Cope, 1896
• Palaeomephitis † Jäger, 1839
• Plesiomeles † Viret & Crusafont, 1955
• Pliogale † Hall, 1930
• Promephitis† Gaudry, 1861