# skunk pics! nearly a year old now!



## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

remember this?

"gimme 5 mum!"










well, she grew and grew 

and now she is HUGE !










if you DON'T want to see an awful lot of pics of a very cute skunk, turnover now... if you have dial up.. go and make a cuppa tea whilst they all load!!!

i'm just still so in love with her.. :wub: 

yeah, ok, so i AM a dappy mare... do i care? nah... with cuddles like this to be had.. i can be daft as a brush and happy with it!










anyway, scuse the token human in the pics.. it was late last night i took these ok!!










foot massage... for her.. not me!










(more to come... lots more in fact!)


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

from the back... this is my tail, d'ya like it?










me front footsies... these are dead good for digging (up the carpet)










tail again... and trying to vanish!










this, is my fat back foot... how cute!










eh mum, which pics shall we do next?? quick discussion needed..


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

oh yeah, well, this is my bed at the moment... daddy kindly donated some old jumpers, and the cat dontated a fleece.. and i bundle them up in the bottom of the spare wardrobe...

comfy in here it is!



















now, i am sure i saw a nice blanket here somewhere.. is it up here?










or under there maybe?










or even hiding behind here?


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

ah huh! this is the one!










now if i can just pull this bit up a bit..



















and then this side too..










opps, missed a bit!










i am sure i could bundle it up and sneak it back to bed without mum looking!


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## crazysnakedude (Jul 1, 2005)

glad to see to see she is looking so healthy, a much loved member of the family. mine is 3 now, seems like just yesterday she was asleep in my pocket


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

gis a cuddle then mum.. (maybe she won't notice i stole the blanket!)










all that thievery.. time for a quick rest...










not you mum!!! ME !!










oy! mum! wake up!










i have an itch you know?


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

oh yes, very very very much loved!

when i get skritched... my back leg goes mad, like a dogs would!


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

last few...










i want to come back as a mole!










have you finished with that dratted camera yet mum?










:tongue: *ner ner neeeer ner ner neeeer*










thats all folks! thanks for looking, and bearing with me, those on dial up!

Nerys


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## Elaphe (Jul 17, 2006)

i want one now...
those claws are a bit big arent they? :shock:


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## Emz118 (Nov 22, 2006)

Awwwww,,,,, I love her!!!!

Wish you hadn't had so many people already looking at the Exeter show, I wanted a cuddle but Barry made me leave!!!

Emma xXx


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## Trice (Oct 4, 2006)

aww, nice.


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

skunks do a lot of digging in the wild, hence the claws.. they are not sharp like a cats, but more solid like a dogs.. they will leave a mark, but not a line of blood if that makes sense  she does get them trimmed up though 

as long as it all goes ahead again, then she will be at Exeter again i am sure.. maybe even with a boyfriend if i am lucky.. last i heard.. keep the 3rd weekend in august free (unconfirmed tho..)

in theory she should breed this spring, we shall see.. female skunks are induced ovulators and either need to be breed or spayed.. leaving them in heat can cause their death  i am told i will know once she comes into season, as their personality changes during it! (typical woman then  )

N


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## wohic (Jun 19, 2006)

she is looking great Nerys


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## DaFoot (Nov 20, 2006)

Very cute.
First time I've heard of anyone keeping a Skunk as a pet. 

Has she felt the need to make the famous smell? Is it as bad as the legend?


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

lol, there are a few in the uk, quite a few in the EU and lots in the USA 

she has been de-scented.. 

its a far smaller operation than cutting a dogs danglies off, or removing a cats womb.. takes a few moments and causes no knock on effects that we know of.. and when you see just how much they take to domestic life, its well worth it.. 

i need a tame phd student to investigate more tho.. i would like to know what makes the scent, and what happens when you take the gland away.. 

if we could gather enough evidence, then it would be worth taking to the RCVS (who currently frown on "invasive" treatments to adapt an animal to human life - of course. ripping out a womb, or lopping of nads.. is for the animals good, so its ok to be invasive there *mutters rude words* its not for the dogs benefit you chop its balls off, its for the humans who live in the same world as it... but anyway..)

N


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## shipo.1066 (Dec 16, 2006)

she is absolutely georgouse you are very clearly a devoted and loving mother. what does she eat and what they like for "potty training" something i have always wanted as a pet but information on keeoing them very scarce.


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## animal mad (Jan 7, 2006)

She looks like my ferret, same family i know!!
I cut the claws regurly, mine live outside in a big enclosure where they can dig etc, so they ware them down..
Lovely pics...


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## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

wow well nice. how much do they go for? is that albino yeh?


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## gemthegem (Jan 14, 2007)

*getting a skunk*

after my partner saw your picks {shipo} we are now getting all the info we can on keeping a skunk as a pet on the idea of getting one in future. where would we start looking for a repetable seller though


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## CBR1100XX (Feb 19, 2006)

Looking cute as ever. :wink: 

My Daughter never shuts up about skunk, even a trip to porton she thought that the ferrets they had where babys of the skunk, You know dad the skunk who lives with the woman with all those snakes. :lol: :lol:


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

she is fast becoming one of the better known skunks in england bless her..

i was going to take her on the sharon osbourne show, but they went for a dog instead!!! 

you won't find shops selling them, there is one shop in the uk who had them advertised, but i know they did not have them in (if they had have, they would have been here by now!)

i will be pairing snuff this year, once i have borrowed a stud for her, i am more likely to use a striped stud, and put new blood into the albino line, i am more than happy to have an excuse to keep kits on!!!

price wise, you are looking at about £400-£500, some people charge more for "colours" such as albino. to my knowledge, there are under 10 breeding adult albinos in the UK.. possibly even less, i know of more hets and visuals who are neutered. there are several other skunk colours, most of which are not in the uk at the moment. there is a secret pair of chocs somewhere i have been told about.. but not given details of! Snuff is kept indoors, and is microchipped.

diet wise, she has 90% vegetables, 5% protein and 5% fruit... she also gets about 1/2 pot of low fat yoghurt a day.. protein is no red meat, or pork.. chicken, fish and egg are ok, and so is cottage cheese (tho neither of us like it, has she picked up on my dislike of it??? ) she also gets insects, when the reptiles can spare them... goes nuts for mealworms and locusts.. 

they can live for up to 20 years in captivity, and can live indoors or outdoors, but you must not let them free roam out the house unsupervised, skunks do not have a "homing" instinct.. they will not find the way back home from halfway down the street like a cat will!

i really should at some point, get my arse into doing a small website about them... i'll add it to the list of a billion and one things to do!!

potty training, yes fine.. she has a litter pan in the bottom of the wardrobe which she uses.. i didn't have any issues with it at all... you find the corner she craps in, stick a pan there, and job done.. i do know other people who have not found it as easy.. i guess i just have an exceptionally good skunk!

(thats not what i was saying at 3am this morning mind you, when she got behind something in the spare room and sounded like a small heffalump dancing the polka on wooden floor..)

wouldn't be without her for anything tho.. she's the bestest 

Nerys


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## gemthegem (Jan 14, 2007)

please please take the photos away i can't stop paul (shipo1066) looking and going all gooey, wouldn't mind but chairs starting to rust from all the dribble. :lol2:


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## pixie_bex (Jul 1, 2006)

Awww how beautiful!!! I remember looking at the pics before and she has grown sooo much!!! 

Looks like a mini polar bear! lol


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## crazysnakedude (Jul 1, 2005)

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b195/crazysnakedude/000_0053.jpg 









this is my baby girl essence, only pic i could find on the comp, as i sed earlier she is 3 now and the light of my life. she was on the Paul O Grady show about a year ago, the called her flower!!!! just for the record shes not a flower....shes an ESSENCE!!!!


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

they're both adorable! i want one!! 

i already have 5 ferrets, and around 40 other animals...
one more can't harm!


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## Magpye (Jan 26, 2007)

Nerys said:


> lol, there are a few in the uk, quite a few in the EU and lots in the USA
> 
> she has been de-scented..
> 
> ...



Descenting is also common in the US for ferrets. However, the ferret musky odour is a result of glandular secretions through the skin and the stronger smelling urine of the male. Descenting - removal of the anal scent glands - is unpopular in the UK because it removes the defence mechanism and has minimal effects of reducing the musky odour.

Ferrets and Skunks both belong to the mustelid family. I've never met a descented ferret so I can't comment on how effective the operation is. Nor have I ever met a skunk, descented or otherwise, so I can't comment on their odour.

Nerys is right regards the castration issue with dogs. A dogs aggression is a result of behavioural issues - albeit these may be amplified by testosterone. Some evidence suggests that castrated dogs can become sound sensitive and suffer in the long-term.

At the end of the day a surgical operation should be a last resort. Owners should consider what lifestyle changes they could make before putting their animal through the stress of surgery. Or indeed ask themselves why they own an animal they wish to physically change.


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## LeeH (Jan 26, 2005)

crazysnakedude and nerys....your skunks are both very awesome looking animals


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

odour wise, she has a very light musky smell.... not unpleasent (or at least i don't think so) she is a very clean animal gernerally, has a bath when one is needed (like when she steps in a poo!) she seems to like the bath which is handy, her fur is so dense that the water doesn't penetrate very far in..

She went to Brownies last night, our local group had a fund raising night, so i took her along to meet everyone.. she was very popular, and even won a bottle of Asti Martini on the raffle  she is exceptional on "meet & great" occasions!

crazysnakedude - Essence has that cheeky skunk look about her alright!! lol

I do have friends in the EU who have fully loaded Skunks.. they have sprayed on the odd occasion, but apparently are not bad generally... the smell tho i am told is as bad as they say it is!

for me, firstly there was no choice, as she came de-scented, but.. i would have had her done if she had not have been too.. there is a risk to the other animals i own as the spray can blind temporarily.. not to mention the fact that the vets won't have them near them without it being done..

i don't think there are any lifestyle changes i could have made to make it otherwise... from the vet point of view.. she is most likely to spray there, as its out of her comfort zone.. and i cannot ask the vet to consider shutting his clinic for a week becasue a skunk let fire in his waiting room.. not can i justify having her, if i cannot get her medical needs seen to when needed..

why own an animal thats been surgically altered to suit.. well.. its a good question ethically, and one thats hard to answer in a way... i do know that the vast majority of pet keepers in the UK could be asked the same though.. as the vast majority of us own, or have owned, animals that are spayed or neutered... mice, rabbits, horses, cats, dogs... whether people argue its for the good of the animal or not.. the base line is that its altering an animal, via a surgical procedure, so that it better fits into a human dominated world..

Snuff is never likely to be in a situation where she needs to spray to defend herself.. by taking the responsibility of having her altered, i also take on the responibility of her safety and well being.. so its up to me to protect her, now that i have taken away the ability for her to do that herself.. 

I want to own her becasue she is unique, rewarding, funny, frustrating, loving, giving, taking!, life enhancing, time consuming, messy, clean, cute.. for all the times she comes to me for a cuddle.. for all the times she falls asleep in my arms... for all the times i have to get up at 4am to dig her out from under the spare bed again.. for all the times she sits with me and *sighs* and settles down and puts her total trust in me... for the relationship i have with her i guess  

in short, for what she adds to my life.. 

but i like to think she enjoys her life too.. i would not want it to be a one way street.. 

N


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2007)

well put! and why not have her shes great


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## Magpye (Jan 26, 2007)

Very well put Nerys, and as you rightly say if she were not descented and did spray in reaction to another animal in the house then it could cause them harm.


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## loulou (Jan 18, 2006)

Magpye said:


> Ferrets and Skunks both belong to the mustelid family.


Skunks are now part of the family mephitidae, they were reclassified




ADW: Mephitis mephitis: Information

(not the best link but a quick one to show you and show im not speaking out of my bottom :smile: )


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## Magpye (Jan 26, 2007)

They'll make their mind up one day. I can remember reading a journal about an Anole being reclassified but people continued to use the Linnaeus classification. I expect with genetic science becoming more and more popular lots of phylogenic changes are likely in the coming years.


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## 1949_sam (Jan 21, 2007)

*WOW Nerys she's wonderful and i love her already what a supper star i'd love one as a pet but a bit to much money for me at the moment but well worth it thats for sure :no1: *

*Sam*


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## emilou (Jan 10, 2007)

How gorgues is she, what a lovely pet! are they quit expensive then


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

they are about the same as pedigree dogs yes...

Seb at jungle talk does hie for £500

if lou and i have sucessful matings and kits available, they will be £450, and that will be for de-scented babies.

i know lou has a waiting list already, i have not yet opened a list.

Sam - you get to meet her on the 19th 

N


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## Miranda (Dec 25, 2006)

can you get them descetned , or do they just nto spray> or do you put up with the smell?


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## Layla (Feb 12, 2007)

She is stunning! I nearly had one of Sebs babies a couple of years ago but my old cat was 15 and I thought it would be too much for him so decided against the wee boy. Seb is a lovely guy and all his critters are fab.

This is Magick my friends skunk









and the wee boy I was thinking about








ignore me Im about 3 stone lighter now!


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

aww how could you say no!!!! everyone should have a skunk cuddle to come home to!

miranda, yes, they are de scented 

N


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## reptile mad (Feb 10, 2007)

Ive never heard of a skunk as a pet before but i think they look great.Are they easy to look after?what do you feed them?:smile:


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

easy to look after.. mmm

well i don't find them hard, but then i do have something like 500+ animals at home.. so to me.. its just another one of the clan i need to budget for..

i have heard someone describe it more like caring for a child.. but.. i dunno.. kids don't sleep in wardrobes and crap in a litter pan lol lol.. well not normally !!

when i first got her, she needed a lot from the time bank.. i was spending from about 10pm to about 2am each night with her.. just reading books, watching tv, chatting to mates.. getting her used to the sound and smell of me being there.. she used to climb on me and play with my hair.. chase my hands.. sleep round my shoulders.. 

she used to eat a heck of a lot, tho this has tailed off over the winter.. she should be getting 90% veg, 5% protein (chicken, egg, fish, cottage cheese) and 5% fruit with insects and things as treats.. 

she actually is living on mainly yoghurt at the moment *sigh* stubborn child that she is... yoghurt and mealworms.. with some veggies, some fruit.. chicken is still ok and so is egg.. fish and cottage cheese she never liked a lot anyway.. i am hoping the spring will see the return of liking veggies!! i do know people who feed them on raw meat and so on, but i personally don't. there are cases where they think too much protein does the kidneys and liver in.

mine is a house pet, so she needs the same care and attention as say a small dog or house cat. they can be as destructive as a puppy or kitten.. but carry it on for a lot longer.. they can make mincemeat out of carpets and wallpaper for instance.. see those claws she has? imagine what they can do to soft furnishings, floor coverings and walls!!! they CAN climb.. not well, but well enough to get up and over most barriers.. and onto things like beds, sofas.. tables.... kitchen work tops... they are very smart and have very very good memories.. they can learn how to open things like... the fridge !!!! lou and ray have a video of theirs proving this!!

they can learn to come to a call, or a whistle, and they can learn basic words.. like "NO" and "WILL YOU SHUT UP" and "yoghurt.." lol lol lol

snuff is as tame as anything i own... i would rarely say this about an animal, but her i would trust in with a baby.. she might pee in the corner, but she would never do any worse (i'd not do it.. just in case.. but.. thats how tame she is..)

they are not all like snuff, i have one due to come here soon, who is a bit of a hellion.. her i would not give to adults to hold, let alone put near a baby!! an adult skunks bite is powerful enough to break fingers.. 

i am not sure if snuff is just an exceptionally good skunk, or if i have by fluke tamed her to be an exceptionally good skunk.. they were handled as babies before i got her though. its something i will be making a strong point of.. handling when young..

they are very rewarding, but i would not class them as being "easy" if that makes sense?

N


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## 1949_sam (Jan 21, 2007)

*Please make sure you add me on ya list as i would love one and can't wait to meet her (i'm brining a camera) as i've gotta get one of me and snuff together (hope you don't mind hun) wish the 19th was tomora lol  *


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

lol, yes no problem.. i think there must be 100's of people with pics of her on camera phones and pc's  

at her first show.. she met 800 people in one day, and particulary enjoyed her ride in a wheelchair. from the look on the young lady sat in the chairs face, i am not sure who enjoyed it more.. her or snuff !! she was mighty popular though!! its always hard to give her back and end a skunky cuddle 

N


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## fantiquitous (Feb 7, 2007)

you must be very proud to have such an interesting an unique pet


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## Layla (Feb 12, 2007)

I didnt sya no it was hubby. I keep and race huskies now so it they would have had to be kept seperate but one day I will get one


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## BADGERS MUM (Dec 5, 2006)

sorry its been ages since this thread was up but ive only just found this bit of the site,she looks wonderful,ive often seen your sig in the lizard section and wondered if you really had a skunk,now i know what an amazing pet you must be very proud of her:smile:


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## MissHayho (Mar 17, 2007)

awwww she is amazing - my friend had a sjunk he was beautiful but sadly died  does urs spray?????????


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## Reptile-jon (Mar 26, 2007)

wow i've never seen them looking so pretty, do they spray?


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

hiya

no, she has been descented... its a very small op, that she had at about 5 weeks... they make a small nick in the anus, and remove the little white bulb that is the gland. the ops is so minor that the wound does not even need stiches after 

this is a skunks scent gland ! taken from

Skunk Descenting










its classed as an invasive operation, and frowned on by some..

In my (not so) humble opinion... its far less intrusive than taking away a animals womb (spaying) and even less than chopping off its balls (castration) 

N


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## nattykins (Feb 10, 2007)

Your lil skunk is incredibly cute Nerys!! Dont think Ive ever seen anything so cute in my life!!!!! lol!!

Nats


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## Reptile-jon (Mar 26, 2007)

i so want one now!! do you need to not have any other pets? ie cats? do they cost a bundle? (well worth it i'm sure) and are they hard to get ?

Thank you

Jon


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

Reptile-jon said:


> i so want one now!! do you need to not have any other pets? ie cats? do they cost a bundle? (well worth it i'm sure) and are they hard to get ?
> 
> Thank you
> 
> Jon


they can get used to other pets... snuff is a bit stampy round them, but only as she lives upstairs and the cats downstairs generally.. shes not that used to them really.. others i know have skunks living with dogs, ferrets, cats.. i've seen pics of them sleeping in baskets with dogs and various things too 

cost... £400-£500 for traditional stripes.. the "colours" are still very hard to get hold of.. i was exceptionally lucky to get Snuff.. i had actually "booked" a striped male lol.. 

getting hold of them... not the easiest no ! i've sent a fair few people sebs way this year and last, so no idea how his waiting list is going. (jungletalk.co.uk) 

Between Lou and i, we have potentially 6 females expecting (3 belong to people who are not on the net, and the plan is for us to act as liason for them) i know lou has a list for hers... the 4 i am looking after (2 mine, 2 not) don't have a list yet.. we're waiting to see what kits come, if any, before doing that. 

N


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## Reptile-jon (Mar 26, 2007)

my wife said that we can have one if they would def be ok with cats... i'm shaking with excitement lol


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

same as with most animals, its about how you introduce them and how you manage them i guess..

this is a pic from an american site










 3 Skunks nursing alongside a Kitten from a Black Cat

skunk and canine companion..










skunk and feline friend!










and this is Stink, an american skunk, with his good friend Blue










and Stink again, this time with Stimpy


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

i think this is Franks "lotte" with their cat too










N


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