# anyone experiences with breeding skunks and how to detect if female is pregnant?



## naminé (Apr 19, 2009)

Hello dear stinkylovers!

I'm new to this forum but came across this website in search of some information about breeding skunks and pregnancy detection and since there isn't much available about this subject I hope I can get some information here and share some experiences so I'd like to introduce myself first if that's ok.

I'd want to appologize for my english writings since I'm from Belgium and English is not my native language so excuse me if I make alot of faults.

for those of you who don't want to read some boring stuff, please go to THE QUESTION at the bottom of this text.
Okay some of you might wonder how I'm able to have skunks in Belgium since they are illegal and may not be kept as pets; to make a long story short; I got a permit so I'm able to keep my beloved pets.
BTW Belgium is way too strict about these matters: they should keep themselves busy interfering with more serious stuff!!

I have 3 skunks now, but I used to have 4. My oldest(naminé: female) is now 2 years, a black and white chip, originates from Danmark where she was the only one which was left out of a litter of 8 little babies. When I saw her I had to take her home since she was dying; puss came out of her ears and eyes, she was sneezing and coughing ,shaking in a little corner, infested with fleas all over her and she was only 6 weeks old then. I knew it would be very hard to keep that little thing alive but I couldn't leave her with this guy who bred exotic animals in his gardenshed(raccoons,pumas,foxes,weasels,owls,....) I wanted to give this little critter a chance and so i took her with me; she wasn't vaccinated,dewormed and also not descented. I immediately went to the vet with her in Belgium; a great vet btw who treats or tries to treat every type of animal without hesitation( you really should have one of these!). She got chipped, vaccinated,dewormed but not descented since it's illegal(although most of pet skunks still get removed off their glands) but I have to say: she's never sprayed her perfume d'amour on anyone , not even my dog: who's very active and likes sniffing skunk bottocks  (turns on my dog) I named her naminé after a character in a videogame (japanese name; also my nick here)
She revived very soon and became a very active little thing; i kept her in my bedroom and always wanted to sleep in my bed underneath the blanket or against my head on the pillow. She cried when I left her alone and followed me everywhere, even taking a shower she wanted to endure the water rather then be left alone. I lost alot of sleep because of her; but she's the best pet I've ever had ; when she was two months old she started giving kisses on my mouth; and still keeps doing this :flrt: but so she gained strenght and escaped an early death.

my second skunk came from germany: an albino male skunk: his name: Roxas(the name of the boyfriend of Naminé in that same game), I also got him when he was 6 weeks old but he was tiny!!! I got him from a girl; who's mother was a vet and so the little one was chipped ,vaccinated, dewormed AND descented. He came out of a litter of 5 but two died because of a too strong vaccination( even vets make mistakes).
Little Roxas seemed to be a premature compared to his two other sisters, they were all kept in a small cage all together in an apartment so ofcourse I wanted to give this little ball of fur a chance and happily he became an active smart playful bloke.he's now almost a year old but still a small little thing. He imitated Naminé and now and then he also come to give me kisses(i"m not holding anything in my mouth;except my tongue :blush
btw: he's white(albino) and not yellowish.

a few weeks after I purchased Roxas I went to Holland; where I came across a breeding farm of exotic pets; well they claimed to be breeders but when I went into their boxes full with animals(easily around 10000 animals) I came to the place where this guy kept the skunks: he told me he had 200 albinos, 400 black and whites and 200 chocolates and champagnes mixed together. This wasn't a breeder but an importer since there weren't any parental animals. I bought two female skunks: one chocolate and one champagne ; they supposed to be 6-8 weeks old and descented, because they were cheap I thought it was a bargain to get beautiful animals; but I was badly mistaken. The second day I had them in the house, they got seizures, they dropped on the floor losing their consciousness .After two weeks Ayumi the champagne coloured one was found dead while the chocolate one;lamyai; started to rip open the legs of her friend. now after almost one year I'm still not able to take or hold Lamyai , she's too afraid and isn't a great pet, but she's very beautiful and I don't want to distress her too much to try to grab her even more, since I've tried so hard and she's not the one who's willing to admit.
Therefore I'd like to distress that you really should be aware to where you buy or get a skunk from. My first two skunks were bought of people who bred their own pet skunks and the other two were bought from a farm or breeding facility ; but there's a huge difference between these animals: I definitely prefer the skunks bought from people's houses rather then farms or breeding facilities but that's just my two cents in the purchase discussion.
I have removed these three skunks from my bedroom(due to Lamyai not willing to use litterbox) to the veranda ;where they have their own space(room) and are able to go into the garden which is bricked around and deep enough so they can't dig under or climb over it. They sure love digging and they prefer digging a den rather then sleeping in a comfy warmer place inside the house:but I make them sleep inside and let them play outside during the day and evening.

THE QUESTION:So this is the large introduction of my three skunks and how I got them.
Now the mating season is over (normally) and I was wondering since my skunks sleep ,walk and eat together at the same place and I've captured Roxas doing his thing many times; how I can be sure if some skunk is pregnant or not?
I have seen Roxas biting and doing his thing but I'm not sure if he did it all right :whistling2:I mean he's small and it didn't take long but he kept doing it and today I noticed him going for another ride on Lamyai. My two female skunks enjoyed their rides but Roxas got bitten very badly where his neckskin got ruptured and bled heavily, but is healed now.
So what are the chances my female skunks are pregnant and are their any symptoms which I can observe to be sure of it, or should I go to the vet for xrays?which I think is a little too dangerous and want a natural way of checking.
I also know that the female skunks can become very savage but if they are pregnant I'd want to be ready! I have an incubator if necessary and stuff like that. I have two seperate skunkrooms for the pregnant females if they want a nursing room :blah: just to settle them down and make them feel comfortable.

So if any of you can help me in detecting a pregnant skunk I'd like to know so I can take measurements soon enough and seperate them from their adonis machoman Roxas.

Many thanks and keep stinking : victory:


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

wow 

firstly Hi!

there are a good few skunk addicts on here so i am sure there will be lots of answers 

one thing to remember with skunks, is that the female can mate, receive sperm, fertilise her eggs and then hold those embyros back.. she can chose to delay implantation, and so although pregnancy is 8 weeks, the time from when she is mated to the time she drops a litter can be longer.

a good first sign, is showing aggression to the male. she will go from being happy to accept the attention, to more and more unhappy about it.. and then finally to refusing to have the male anywhere near her. this is a good time to split the male off if you have not already done so.

her nipples will grow and stand out from her body more, her appetite will increase, and you may find she becomes more secretive than normal... she may get increasingly grumpy with the people around too.. although not all do.. snuff went into labour whilst laid in bed with me this year.. 

the day before and the day of the birth, expect to have your normally friendly skunk turn into a rabid hissing lunatic that wants to take your ankles off if you go near her.. its best, in my opnion, to have the females split right out from the rest of the house for the birth. 

unless you are snuff.. and you manage yet again to fox your mother by dropping a litter under the wardrobe.. meaning you then have to sleep on a camp bed in the yard for 3 days..

so.. generally... 
the females start by being grumpy with the boys. 
their nipples will grow and stand out more from the body
they will increase appetite and wieght (tho hard to see on some)
they will become shyer, more secretive, and increasingly grumpy
finally, they will turn into hissing monsters that run screaming at you open mouthed.. 

those are the signs i go by!

also, its knowing your skunks, not all skunks do all the things, some skunks show other signs.. everyone is different, a lot of the time its looking for a change in attitude and behaviour..

i have a skunk friend in belgium  he does rescue work and that sort of thing 

I have 11 skunks here.. well... actually at the moment.. 11+3 :2thumb:

Snuff - albino female
Quanah - albino male
Holly, Teyah, Whiff, Ichi - black and white girls
Pro and Pacer, black and white boys
Mars, Choc and white boy
Elsie, choc and white girl

nice to "meet" you, you must get some pics of yours up 

Nerys
http://www.skunkshack.co.uk


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## naminé (Apr 19, 2009)

*pictures as well*

Hi Nerys

first I'd really like to thank you for the information, wow you surely have a skunk farm at your place :2thumb:

The reason why I asked the question is because of the evidence that my skunks had a "lovely" time together and so the possibility of pregnancy might occur and since I know of the delayed gestation period I am not quiet sure if she will get babies soon .
I noticed a change at her nipples which was the first reason why I wanted to know some pregnancy symptoms: they surely look larger and thicker, at some nipples I can see some dried up yellowish secretion so maybe it could be a sign of something going on or It could be wishful thinking making me see stuff which is not there :whistling2:

My female skunks are a little grumpier for sure but it's not dramatically but as for the aggression towards the male, which everyone says is a sign, I have to say they all get along pretty well, although naminé often gives a little bite to Roxas(male) making him leave but it's not that aggressive, also they can sleep everywhere they want but most of the time they just sleep together peacefully so that's why I'm a little confused: 

female: is getting thicker and firmer at the stomach and sides of it
the nipples are more noticeable and some seem to have some 
dried up yellowish secretion on them
getting grumpier 
biting the male every now and then but just to make him wonder 
off

but:

still sleeping with the male
not very aggressive towards him

so I'll probably just have to wait until some more clearer signs show up.

I've tried to upload some pictures (blurry ones with my cellphone) , they're not the best but ; try to take a picture of a skunk who's being active all day round :bash:

if everything goes well they should appear here:

naminé female black white chip :









http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv37/stinkertje/namin.jpg



















roxas:


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## naminé (Apr 19, 2009)

*next pics*









roxas and Lamyai



Lamyai and Ayumi(deceased champagne)









Lamyai











pictures so far


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## naminé (Apr 19, 2009)

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv37/stinkertje/lamyai2.jpg 

naminé 8 weeks old


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## naminé (Apr 19, 2009)

I just wanted to add: that you can see on the first pic on previous post: that Lamyai has a naked looking behind(legs, bottocks) this is a result of a very horny and always into action skunk; Roxas; he kept doing her and rubbing off all of her hair: no injuries but a naked butt in stead :lol2:


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## naminé (Apr 19, 2009)

*Naminé IS pregnant*

One thing is certain now: Naminé the black and white chip skunk is pregnant!

I had a strong feeling she would be pregnant but I had to be sure so last night I took her with me in the bed and she came to sleep right next to me: i stroke her back and suddenly she decided she wanted me to stroke her on her stomach so she laid her down on her back and enjoyed it. She started to fall asleep with a sweet little snoring as well. So I had the chance to place my hand and fingers on her stomach and after a while I felt something pushing in her abdomen: first I thought it were some heavy active bowels :whistling2: and some of the famous skunk poop pushinh through :lol2: so I continued feeling her abdomen and I felt alot of activity going on in there which couldn't just be bowel movement :bash: as it was really pushing my finger ; can't believe skunkpoo can do this :whip:
after an hour of palpating her I am now positively convinced she's pregnant. The other female skunk is probably too but since she is just one year old she'd probably mated later than Naminé who's 2; I read that 1 year old skunks mate later than older skunks .( older female skunk: beginning of february while younger ones mate in March up until April)

I'm keeping things updated here

have a nice day


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## stoaty (Jul 21, 2008)

Great pictures and I wish you all the best with any future arrivals. I dont want to hijack your thread but is a mega shed another sign of a female getting near the time to drop? My female must have delayed implantation as she is past her due date but she is now going through a really heavy moult. I know ferrets do (I know they are not the same) but just wondered if they are the same this way.


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## farmercoope (Aug 19, 2008)

Good news and good luck!!


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

love the pics! they all look so cute, i love the look on roxas face, i have a soft spot for albinos, my first skunk was an albino (thats the one that currently has the babies - 2 weeks old today they will be!)

Lamyai reminds me a bit of my Mars when he was a baby, i love the shading on her flanks, and Ayumi was a pretty one eh, what a shame you lost her.. what do their names mean?

and then Naminé.. i love the way she is peeking out from under her tail in that second pic! and the look in her eyes in the first one!

funny you should say about the bald back legs, i know a few people this year who have had that happen, i wonder if its where the males back legs come up to either side.. you know how it is with the mating, the males almost end up sat down under the females at times!

will have to find a pic, see if one shows what i mean.. but i think the bald on the back legs is where the males hind feet rest against the back legs of the female when they are pumping..

skunks and time of year for mating.. i think its as much varied on the individual as anything else. the youngest skunk i personally know to have given birth, did so in late January. She was born NO EARLIER than march the year before.. so to have dropped in late Jan, with an 8 week gestation, she must have therefore conceived in late november.. which means that she would have been maximum 9-10 months old at the time she was mated. 

which would blow out of the water the theory that younger ones mate later in the spring! however, i think she is more the exception to the rule however.

its great news about Naminé  how exciting! what are you planning to do with the babies? keep them?? i am going to find it so hard to part with mine!! i suppose 14 skunks would be no more work than 11... maybe, lol.. tho 3 lots more of poo.. oh my! i need my own dustcart for it all!

heavy shed linked to pregnancy... Mmm... can't say i have noticed a link as yet.. although yes, they do shed this time of year.. but then so do many animals in the spring. stoaty, do you have a pair, or just the female (sorry, can't think straight today) if you have a pair, is the males coat blowing too? i know from talking to emma with her 5 lads, that some of them are blowing (shedding) their coats at the moment, so it might just be a weather/time of year thing.

snuff has lost some of the fur along the neck and back.. but i think thats more to do with ducking underneath the wardrobe to get into her nest.. i can't believe the cow went into labour laid in my arms, then snuck under there to drop them.. 

she's been shut into her "birthing room" for 6 weeks, i let her out for a cuddle, we went to sleep in bed together. she woke up a bit squirmy, (i now know that was her going into labour) so i let her down for a few hours before i got up, and whammo..

in that short space of time she dropped 'em next to my side of the bed under the wardrobe *sigh* 

spent the next few nights sleeping in a tent in the garden as a result, as Mrs "exocet-missle-on-speed" is flaming anyone who goes near her! i swear the daft tart had her legs crossed all that last week, just waiting for her sucker of a mother to let her out.. sneaky madam she is

fingers crossed for Naminé 

N


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## stoaty (Jul 21, 2008)

Hi there Nerys. I have three monsters. One male and two girls. The female who is shedding loads is just about ready to drop. Really agressive around her home. Comes out biting and attacking not just stomping. The other female and the male have not started to loose their coat like this girl. It could just be her but like I said I know ferrets shed heavily just b4 dropping. My little girl is over her due time but she cant get much bigger and her behaviour suggests we are getting close.


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## naminé (Apr 19, 2009)

thanks for the replies!!!

Wow Nerys you must be so happy and proud being a fresh mom for three little rascals :2thumb: have you got some pics of yours on here or any of the newbies?

You're such a commited mom for giving up your room for the bossy mommy; sleeping in a tent :lol2: When it comes down to our pets wellbeing we have to give up something sometimes even our own bed and bedroom. :whip: 

I like Lamyai's brown spot on the white of her nose and that she has a dark brown head and feet while the rest of her body is lightbrown to grayish, although she's not one who likes being handled and being touched, all three of them never have bitten anyone except my dog :Na_Na_Na_Na: the only bits I got were playful ones but Lamyai never has since she doesn't like to play with humans.

Naminé prefers humans above other skunks , she thinks she's a human and doesn't want to be bothered with "animals" :crazy:

But all three of them respond to their names being called; whenever I call a name ,only the one who's been called comes out(of their nest) to come and greet me; wishing they get something to nibble, never thought they would correspond so well to their names.

when it comes to their names: I have always had an affection with Asian culture; i have studied two years Japanese and ancient chinese but my heart goes out to Thailand where most of my best friends live and come from so the names I gave my little fluffballs are having asian influences.

Roxas: is not a real asian name but alot of guys get this name as a nickname: the names is derived from Rojas which is a Spanish name coming from Rojo which means red: so obviously this refers to the red eyes of albino Roxas.

Naminé: is a Japanese name which refers to the Japanese word Nami which means ocean wave. 

Roxas and naminé are the main characters of the game kingdom hearts which my brother was playing at the time I got Naminé and since ik liked it ,it was normal to use it for her and when roxas came home it was evident to use roxas being his name as roxas and naminé are also a couple in the game :flrt:

Lamyai is a thai name for a thai fruit; also known as longan which is a small lychee type of fruit with a crisp brown skin and very sweet white fruit inside: so ofcourse her name points out her brown coloured coat and although shy ; a very soft loveable sweet character.

Ayumi: he name came from the famous japanese popstar singer Ayumi Hamasaki ,ayumi means: wonderful steps: so this one wasn't used for its meanings. 

The bald legs of Lamyai are definitely the results of Roxas scratching her while he tried to pull her to him, to give her a wild night(and day,and noon, and every single time he didn't know what else to do or if no food was available) being small and short doesn't necessary mean they can't be horny :mf_dribble:

But because he was a premature I guessed he could have some fertility problems and since he's an albino which supposedly is a weaker type of animal I wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to do his THING; but now he surely proved I was so wrong about my judgement about him :bash:

I see now that many people keep getting skunk litters all year round now, so no obvious months for births to occur which I read in the book of the skunklady, maybe because they adjust to the wellbeing of a house kept pet(like a dog or cat) without having the problems of finding food, a warm and cosy shelter, finding a mate, .... and we cuddling them: stimulating their hormones.

Naminé is sleeping on my lap now while I'm writing this down; she does have a more heavy breath and falls asleep wherever I put her; when normally she'll be running around . But she didn't lose her playful spirit , she still loves to run, turn her ass towards me, running away and running fast towards me ;doing a handstand and wants me to chase her; she isn't playful at all with the other skunks but she surely is with humans.

just for those of you wanting a skunk:Alot of people keep asking me if they are great pets: well for me they're definitely the best I've ever laid my hands on. 
I've had ferrets,cockatoos,long eared hedgies,chameleons,sugargliders,bats,snakes,squirrels,chinchillas,... and skunks definitely jump out FOR ME. I say if it's a happy animal: it's a great pet but not for everyone. I met two people who both had a skunk for a few weeks but when they found out their curiosity, their stubborn characters, they got rid of them: one being put to sleep and the other being put out in the wild. So if people are reading this and wanting a skunk; be sure to read lots and try to get in contact with someone who has one so you can get used to how it is for you to have one in your house. I'm not too keen on skunks being kept in cages all day long since they really need to get some action and movement. But if you take care of them and are devoted to them :they can be the most marvelous , loving pets you can imagine; also DON't let them get descented: I know it's illegal to do but some vets still do, but I encountered problems with that: both descented skunks have had prolapses, and once it was really bad where it took days since it got inside again; I had to push it in since the hot water thing didn't do anything and any other solution(like putting sugar on it, etc) didn't help; so I was told by my vet to use some lubricant, wear a glove and push it in very slowly and keeping my finger in their poopy so the intestine could settle down and lose some swelling. When I had my skunks taken to the vet, he said that many skunk who get prolapses just have had bad surgery to take the glands out, since it's not supposed to have them removed in such an animal(it's not a dog).
You have to take a risk as well if you don't like to have a full loaded skunk in the house; but I can definitely say that my undescented skunk smells the best and has never sprayed her toxic perfume on anyone so if you treat them well, they'll do the same!!! definitely not a pet for a child!!!
you can and will get bitten(hard or playfully), they'll ruin some household stuff, they'll digg anywhere even places you don't expect it can be digged, they are bossy and need treats in stead of punishments, don't expect to get them litter trained; if they do: lucky you, if they won't; don't be suprised: most don't and never will; be glad if they'll poop in a corner :which most of them do.

It would be so great to have a skunk getting a litter right next to you: it really shows she trusts you and likes you having around her, the aftermath is probably normal; so I might have to move out of my room as well if she decides she wants to throw them out in my bedroom if she doesn't want to use the nursingroom :Na_Na_Na_Na:

It's always exciting: you'll never know when they'll fire their potion of love in your direction:whip: 

Good luck with your babies Nerys and hope to catch some pics of yours as well.

enjoy the growing rascals while they still can't nibble at your toes: victory:


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## naminé (Apr 19, 2009)

hi Stoaty: also an exciting moment for you as well :mf_dribble:
do you have some pics of yours up on here? 

can't wait for the moment they'll arrive on this world: how many, what colour, will they all survive, ...

exciting; let's cross our fingers, toes and eyes:crazy: for things going smoothly


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

> Hi there Nerys. I have three monsters. One male and two girls. The female who is shedding loads is just about ready to drop. Really agressive around her home. Comes out biting and attacking not just stomping. The other female and the male have not started to loose their coat like this girl. It could just be her but like I said I know ferrets shed heavily just b4 dropping. My little girl is over her due time but she cant get much bigger and her behaviour suggests we are getting close.


heehee.. that sounds about right.. i was debating getting some footage of snuff acting like a tiger on speed when i was laid in bed this morning.. she keeps chasing rory out of the bedroom lol lol.. we have washing stacked in the office ready to be put away, but as soon as you pull drawers out and make noise... Wwwhoooooshhh, she's there like Jaws under the bed waiting to pounce on your ankles *grins* there is still a lot of baby noise coming from the den, so i trust something is still doing well in there! no pics of the new arrivals as yet.. i've only seen them once, at 10 days i cuddled her for a bit, then shut her out and checked very very quickly - hence knowing there were 3 and they are all albinos. did not even check sexes :gasp:

skunks are a pain with due dates.. although you can say, well it won't be before X date.. there is no telling when the pregnancy actually started, so its very hard to predict for sure when it will end! its a clever strategy, delayed implantation, but makes working dates out a struggle at times lol

i wonder if its all shedding, or if its part fur pulling to line nest.. you know like rabbits do? i didn't see much fur inside snuffs nest, but was not really looking, i'll look next time more closely. as said, she does look balder than normal on the back of the neck and shoulders.. have to see what the others do.. 

is Naminé shedding lots??

wrote out a long post, but my bucket account won't load.. lemme reboot and i'll post some pics i hope!

N


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## stoaty (Jul 21, 2008)

naminé said:


> hi Stoaty: also an exciting moment for you as well :mf_dribble:
> do you have some pics of yours up on here?
> 
> can't wait for the moment they'll arrive on this world: how many, what colour, will they all survive, ...
> ...


Hello there. Still waiting. Today she was not quite so grumpy so when she was eating I was holding her belly and like you I could feel them moving inside her. Can't be long. I dont have any pictures on here will have to get it sorted soon. This little girl dropped a baby in November last year but then had no milk so I don't want to get too excited. I would say there is deffinately more than one so hopefully there will be a larger dose of hormones through out the birthing process to stimulate milk production. Whats the latest on yours?


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## stoaty (Jul 21, 2008)

Nerys - it does seem more like a very heavy shed. The fur seems to be outside the bars of her cage and not much in the nest. Ferrets loose a lot of coat at this time and it is heavier round the nipples. Presumably so the kits can find the nipples easier. Thats what made me wonder about skunkies. Would be interesting if others could comment on this.


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## naminé (Apr 19, 2009)

*Not yet*

Hi there

Still waiting for the litter; She(skunk) chose my bedroom to get comfy and probably have her litter. So hopefully I'm not going to be chased away like Nerys had to ! :gasp:

She doesn't allow other skunks to come near or she'll start stomping her feet and blow some angry noises. But she's definitely not aggressive "yet" towards me, in fact she wants more affection and wants to be cuddled more then she used to so I think it'll take more than two days for sure, although she's big and sometimes is so exhausted she starts breating very hard.She also grooms very extensively but she hasn't lost many hairs only around her teats and flanks: may be because of the expanding abdomen which may seem like she lost some hair.

Yesterday and the day before that, she wasn't active, and kept sleeping in her "nest" but she ate lots, but today I found an active skunk: following me, climbing on the bed(trying to although difficult with her big belly) but when I took her on she went off , a minute after that she climbed back on and kept doing this until I left her alone, but she waited at my bedroom door and started scratching the door like a lunatic. I tried to give her food today but she didn't want anything except some water; the babies are kicking like crazy inside of her so things still seem to be alright.

waiting some more :flrt:

How are yours doing guys and girls?


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