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Our First Hike
 Come!
We are going on a hike across the countryside! We shall see what
kind of adventure we can find, so close to home that we are almost in our
own back yard. Take your camera, a book in which to make notes of
what we see and a pair of binoculars. A small flashlight often comes
in handy on a nature hike, too.
Today is a lovely day.
Gentle winds make the new leaves dance. The air hums with the soft
voices of insects and birds. In the world of nature, wonderful things
are happening. We do not want to miss anything. Let's go walking
in the oldest and best playground of all--the outdoors.
We wander through fields and
groves that surround a small country village. Most of what we see
is farm land, where the food we eat is
growing. A farmer is working in his field. He looks strong,
healthy and happy. Farming is fun, but a great amount of work, too.
How many animals are on his
farm? Look over in the pasture. There are cows, horses and
sheep. In a pen near the barn there are several pigs. Chickens
peck while they walk about their pen, feeding. A large brown dog
sits near the farmhouse. He barks at us several times, which is probably
his way of saying, "Hello, you're welcome to come in, but don't do any
damage to my farm." A farm would not be complete without a dog.
Near the barn, a cat moves along
in the silent way which is natural for a cat. No doubt it is her
duty to keep the farm free of mice and rats.
These are domestic animals we
see, the animals that have learned to live with people. But there
are other kinds, too, right on this very land. Many wild creatures
live out in the deep grasses, along hedges, in the groves of trees and
in brush thickets.
"What kind would be here?" you
ask.
Well, it could be that right
in this country before us there are foxes, woodchucks, gophers, chipmunks,
squirrels, skunks, coyotes and many kinds of birds.
"May we see them?" you ask.
Yes, but to see wild animals
we must be quiet and patient. See that grove of trees just beyond
the garden? Let's walk over there and see what we can find.
It is thrilling to go searching
in the outdoors. Anything can happen. We watch carefully as
we go along. There goes a chipmunk bouncing along as if he were a
rubber ball! He disappears into his home, which is a hole in the
ground. How cute he is! Now a big woodchuck who has been watching
us whistles a warning and then disappears into the ground. How quick
and alert wild creatures are! The flute-like song of a wood thrush
floats out of the grove before us. We pause to listen. This
is one of the most beautiful bird songs in the world.
Now another sound comes to us.
What is it, and where is it? It comes from a place where a large
decayed log lies on the ground. Scratch, scratch, scratch.
We look at each other puzzled. What could it be? We move forward
cautiously the way Indians travel. We are careful not to step on
a twig or to crush leaves.
"There he is!" you whisper excitedly.
Yes, there he is--an animal
about the size of a large house cat. One look, though, and we know
it is not a cat. No, he has a long nose. Cats have short noses.
The animal before us has a white line between his eyes. There are
two long white stripes which run the length of his back.
While we watch, the creature
scratches again at the decaying log. He uncovers a white grubworm.
He eats it down--then another, and another. How he enjoys his delicious
meal!
"Ugh!" you say, wrinkling your nose.
No, you wouldn't like those
worms, but to the animal on the log they are choice tidbits.
What is that creature we watch?
You know. Yes, it is a striped skunk, one of the most useful and
friendly animals of the American countryside.
Did you ever see a skunk before?
Some people have not. Yet there are many skunks throughout most of
our land. Not all of them are the striped skunks. There are
other kinds. The little spotted skunk is found in the southeastern
part of our country. The hognosed skunk lives in the Southwest.
The hooded skunk lives in Mexico.
However, the striped skunk is
more numerous. Scientists call him Mephitis mephitis.
The Latin word mephitis means "a poison gas." You can understand
why that is true. An Indian name for him is sheegawk.
Some historians think the name Chicago was taken from this Indian word.
"Why don't we smell this one?"
you ask. "Doesn't a skunk stink?"
Yes, sometimes he does, but
not always. The odor of the skunk is his defense. He does not
use it unless he thinks something is going to harm him. When he does
use the odor, it is awful. Everyone in the whole region knows a skunk
is around.
How does he do it? Well,
you have probably seen a perfume bottle with a bulb attached. When
you squeeze the bulb it sprays perfume. The skunk has a bulb at the
base of his tail. When he is frightened, he squeezes it with his
muscles. What comes out is not perfume! It is a yellow liquid
and mist that burns the eyes and hurts the nostrils of any creature it
touches.
Oh! Oh! The farm
dog is coming this way. He has seen the skunk, too. He does
not welcome the creature on his farm.  He
certainly looks cross, and he growls a challenge.
"Look out there, Rover!" the
farmer calls, looking up from his work. "You'll get in a heap of
trouble there. That little fellow won't hurt you if you let him alone.
In fact, a skunk is valuable around this farm."
But Rover does not hear his
master's warning. He is too concerned about that two-striped animal.
Maybe he thinks it is a cat. He has chased many cats, and he likes
to see them run and climb trees. He tries to chase this one, but
it will not chase! It just stands there and faces him.
The dog does not know that the
skunk is giving him three warnings. Skunks usually do. They are never
anxious to start trouble. Their attitude is "Let me alone and I'll
let you alone."
Notice the warnings. First
the skunk chatters his teeth. If Rover were a wise dog, he would
turn back now. But he is not very smart, and he walks toward the
skunk, growling and barking.
Now the skunk stiffens his body
and beats the ground with his front feet. That is the second warning.
Still Rover comes on, probably wondering, "Why doesn't that crazy cat run?"
Next the skunk raises his tail! This is the last warning.
"Rover!" calls the farmer, in
alarm.
"Rover!" we echo, feeling very
helpless.
The dog does not pay attention
to us.  He
walks right on toward a calamity.
The skunk has given all his
warnings now, and he is ready for battle. His beadlike eyes watch
the dog fearlessly. His legs are stiff, and his tail is held high.
He has great confidence in his ability to defend himself.
The skunk seems to have the
same battle cry heard at Bunker Hill, "Fire when you see the whites of
their eyes." Rover is now ten feet from the skunk. This is
target range, and our striped friend goes into action. His moves
are so swift that we can scarcely follow them with our eyes. He does
not turn his rear end toward the enemy. He does not need to, for
he can spray in any direction without moving his front feet. Now
he lifts his back feet off the ground and swings his body so it is shaped
like the letter U. At the same time the muscles under his tail contract
and squeeze the bulb.
Poor Rover! A thin yellow
spray strikes him in the face. In an instant he is in more misery
than he ever imagined possible. He jumps in the air. He howls
mournfully. He rolls on the ground "sick as a dog," and paws at his
burning eyes. Faster than we can tell it, the battle is over, and
Rover is utterly defeated.
The farmer walks over to us.
He looks at the miserable Rover and shakes his head. "You foolish
dog," he says. "Why didn't you listen when we called to you?
Why didn't you mind
your own business and let that animal alone? Why
didn't you heed the warnings of the skunk? Look at you now!
I'll wash you and wash you, but you'll smell terrible just the same.
You can't come in the house for days."
But Rover is not listening.
He has faced an animal that has some of the best defenses in the world,
and he came out second best.
The air is filled with the pungent
odor. We hold our noses and walk away.
You ask, "Where is the skunk?"
He goes back through the woods
slowly. Strangely enough, this animal never soils his own fur when
he sprays. He is not mad at anyone. He will not go far.
Skunks never do. They can live in rather small areas and be perfectly
happy.
We watch this little creature
for a moment. Now we see it more closely and realize it is a
mother skunk. This is the time of year when she
will have babies, and she is looking for a home. She searches in
the brush. She crawls in and out of a hollow tree. She finds
an opening
in an old stump near a stone wall and disappears. Perhaps
the hollow in the stump was the home of a fox. Skunks often take
over a deserted fox den.
When we look around, we see that this would be a nice neighborhood for
this skunk to live in. She can feed on worms and lizards which will
crawl along that old stone wall. Out in the tall grasses of the near-by
meadow are field mice, grasshoppers and other insects she likes to eat.
There is a pond just over a low ridge. She can drink here, and catch
frogs and little swimming creatures. Yes, this is a good place for
a skunk to live.
Look, look! She is sticking
her nose out of the opening. See how contented she is. She
has decided this place is to be her new home. Wonderful! We
can come to this spot again and see her, and maybe we will see her family,
too.
Do you think we should give
her a name? What do you suggest? Stinker? I think we
can do better than that. Remember, she did not want to spray that
dog. She does not smell bad most of the time.
Try another name, please.
Sweet Sue? That sounds better. Sweet Sue it is. We will
hike back to see her many times in the days to come.
What have we learned on our first
hike? Let's make a list.
THINGS WE LEARNED
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1. The two-striped skunk is about
the size of a large cat.
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2. He is dark, almost black in
color, and has two long stripes down his
-
back and a
white line between his eyes.
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3. He claws decayed logs and
eats bugs and worms he finds there.
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4. He does not use his defensive
odor unless he is attacked.
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5. His odor sack is under his
tail, and it operates something like a
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perfume bulb.
The skunk's muscles around the sack contract, and
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a yellow spray
comes out.
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6. He can shoot his spray about
ten feet in any direction. He does not
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have to turn
his back toward his enemy.
-
7. He gives three warnings before
he sprays: First, he chatters his teeth.
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Then he beats
the ground with his front feet. Finally he raises his
-
tail.
-
8. His home is in hollows or
burroughs under the ground. Sometimes
-
he lives in
dens that have been made by foxes or other animals.
-
9. He does not soil his own fur
when he sprays.
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Our Second Hike
IT IS DAWN. The long
rays of the sun tint the morning clouds pink. It is a wonderful time
for a walk in nature. The world seems fresh and new. Shall
we go to the grove where we last saw Sweet Sue and see if she likes her
home? Bring the camera, field glasses, notebook and a small flashlight.
Let's be off!
Notice that the meadows look
as if they were set with jewels. Dew drops cling to the grasses and
sparkle like diamonds when they are touched by the sun rays. Our
shoes become wet quickly as we wade along.
Listen to the chorus of birds
as they sing a greeting to the dawn. How many songs can you identify?
You know the voice of a robin. You know the call of the crow, too,
cawing as he flies high over our heads. There is the call of the
chickadee. He tells you his name.
And those clear, slurred whistles
are the song of a meadow lark, perched on a telephone wire in the distance.
Look at him through your binoculars. Notice his bright yellow breast
with a black line near his throat. See the two white markings on
his tail as he flies? He glides to the ground in the meadow.
Maybe his nest is there. Learning the names of birds is like making
new friends.
Well, here we are, right where
Rover and the skunk had their battle. Rover sees us, comes up and
wags his tail. He is a friendly dog--except with skunks. As
we pet him, we notice that the odor of the skunk is in his fur. The
battle was ten days ago, and yet the "perfume" is still there. Even
the grass and the ground where the fight took place smell of the combat.
We walk on to the grove of trees.
Over there is the decayed log where we first saw Sweet Sue. It looks
as if she has been there many times since, because the log is clawed to
pieces. Do you think she is somewhere near right now? Let's
hide behind those bushes. They will act as a blind for us.
Then we can wait patiently for something to happen. We will need
a lot of patience if we are to learn more about nature.
We choose our hiding place behind
the bushes. Let's make ourselves comfortable in case we have to wait
for a while.
"Look! Look! There
she is," you exclaim excitedly, pointing to the old stump near the sone
wall.
Yes, there she comes.
Sweet Sue emerges from the opening between the roots.
See how alert she is. She stands motionless at the entrance to her
new home.
Listen. There are little
squeaking voices somewhere. Sweet Sue is listening to them, too.
Now she turns around and enters the stump. Once more we hear the
voices, a whole chorus of them. They come from under the stump.
That must be Sweet Sue's home! The sounds are her babies' voices!
Would you like to look into
her underground nest?
A few moments pass, and then
Sweet Sue comes out again. The voices continue, but she must have
decided that nothing serious was wrong with her family. She does
not look worried.
She is looking for food.
She must have a large amount of food because she must furnish milk for
a nest of baby skunks. When she has gone only a few steps, she pounces
on a dragonfly and eats it. She goes to the log and scratches about,
but she does not find a single grubworm. Probably she has eaten them
all on previous visits. She catches a grasshopper, then another and
another.
"Is that all she eats?" you
ask.
A skunk is not a fussy animal.
Sweet Sue will eat almost anything smaller than she is. A few things
she likes on her menu are beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, dragonflies,
frogs, toads, lizards,
salamanders, crawfish, earthworms, grubworms, mice, rats,
gophers, ground squirrels, chipmunks, some kinds of fish, bees, yellow
jackets, berries, fungi, eggs, rabbits and sometimes ground nesting birds
when young.
Sweet Sue is not the only animal
on the scene.
Look through your glasses at the tall grass a hundred yards away.
There is the beautiful head of a red fox peeping over the grass.
He watches Sweet Sue intently but it is not likely that he will attack
her. Like all wild creatures, he respects the weapon of the skunk.
But he looks as if he would like to take a good bite out of her.
Someone else is watching the skunk. See that small, slender creature
standing upright over near the fence? Can you recognize him by his
alert manner, his long claws and his striped coat? Yes, it is a gopher.
Sweet Sue sees him, too. He is on her list of favorite foods, and
she makes a dash toward him. She is quick, but he is quicker.
With a squeak of alarm he dives to the safety of his hole.
Sweet Sue finishes her meal
of grasshoppers and other bugs, then eats a butterfly as dessert.
Now, with a frog in her mouth,
she hurries back to her stump and disappears inside. She cannot stay
away from her babies very long. The little ones need to be fed often
and they must be kept warm.
Let's move closer because she
will not come out again soon. Look at the entrance to the stump.
The dirt has been scratched away to enlarge the doorway. The roots
through which the opening is made have been worn smooth because Sweet Sue
has gone in and out so often.
"Let's call it Skunk Castle,"
you say.
Good! I always like to
name things. It makes them seem so much more personal. Skunk
Castle it shall be.
Then we hear the baby skunk
voices again. Hear them? We bend over the doorway. It
sounds as if the animals are far back in the ground. There must be
a tunnel leading back beyond the stump.
Let's trace the tunnel by sound.
We follow it about twelve feet to where there is a pile of round stones,
a cave in from the old wall. The voices grow louder. Undoubtedly
the home of our friend, Sweet Sue, is underground. This seems like
the kind of den a fox would make. It is possible that the fox used
it for a season and then went somewhere else. No matter who made
it, the den is now the home of Sweet Sue and her family. From the
sound we hear, Sweet Sue has a large family.
Do you suppose we would dare
dig there?
You shiver as I ask the question.
Yet, we are so anxious to see the litter of young, that we decide to try
it. If the worst happens, we'll join Rover in the doghouse.
We remove the rocks, one at
a time, as quietly and gently as possible. We dig the dirt away with
our hands. The voices of the baby animals grow stronger and stronger
as the wall grows thinner and thinner. This proves we are digging
in the right place. In a way, we almost wish we weren't! Our
hearts are beating so loudly that we think the animals can hear them.
What will Sweet Sue think when
she knows we are entering her home? What will she do? We do
not dare answer our own questions. All we can do now is dig, dig,
dig--and hope.
With trembling hands we remove
the last stone and make an opening into a dark cave. The voices seem
only inches away. We point our flashlight toward the opening and
turn the light on.
We gasp with excitement at what
we see. There, before us, is a room in the cave which is about two
feet square and almost as high. A coating of grasses and leaves covers
the floor. Sweet Sue has gathered this material to make her nest.
As our eyes become accustomed
to the cave, we are able to see more clearly.
There, lying flat on the grass-covered floor, is Sweet Sue. Her eyes
are closed, and she looks as if she is fast asleep. Before her, and
only a few inches away from us, is a wriggling mass of skunk babies.
The mother may think they are beautiful, but we do not! They are
such ugly little things that they look as if they are made of rubber.
They do not have hair or teeth, their eyes are shut tightly and they do
not seem to have ears. It looks as if nature ran out of material
when she made baby skunks. See them squirm, and listen to them squeak!
Most of their skin is black,
although there are some pink places. But when their hair comes in,
the pink places will have white fur, and the black areas will have black
fur.
How many are there? They
wiggle so much it is difficult to count them, but we finally decide that
there are eight. Few skunk mothers have more than eight babies.
There are usually only three or four babies in a family.
Oh, oh! Sweet Sue's nose
is starting to twitch. We were so interested in the little family
that we forgot we were in an exposed and rather dangerous position.
Perhaps Sweet Sue has found our scent. It is not surprising
that she does not notice the light we flash in her home. Animals
are not disturbed by light as a rule. But if she catches our scent,
it will be another matter.
Now she raises her head.
It is time for us to leave! Quickly! Replace the rocks and
rebuild the wall. Return all the stones and dirt so that her home
will be solid.
We chuckle as we hurry away.
We have looked right into the home of a skunk, and we got away with it.
But what could have happened!
Look back, but keep walking.
Sweet Sue is coming out of Skunk Castle, sniffing and looking about to
learn what kind of monkey-work is going on around her home. Seeing
us, she chatters her teeth. She beats the ground with her feet.
She begins to raise her tail. Remember the three warnings?
Well, we are wiser than Rover. We heed her warnings, and do not walk;
we run for distant places!
What a day and what a hike!
We will never forget the experience. We will visit Sweet Sue and
her family often. It is going to be fun watching her raise her litter.
But we will have to be careful. A skunk is never more threatening
than when she has young babies.
Now what do we have in our notebook?
What have we learned? Here is our list of the things we have noticed
about Sweet Sue and her family.
THINGS WE LEARNED
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1. Skunk odor lasts a long time
after it has been discharged, often for
-
days or weeks.
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2. The mother skunk must go out
on short, quick hunting trips to get
-
food, so she
will have enough milk to feed her young.
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3. A skunk eats almost anything
that is smaller than he is. Most of the
-
things he
eats are pests, although he does kill and eat some birds.
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4. While the fox and several
other animals could attack the skunk, they
-
seldom do
so unless they are desperate for food, for they all are
-
afraid of
the skunk's spray.
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5. A skunk mother has from three
to eight babies. She makes a nest,
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usually underground,
of grass and leaves.
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6. The baby skunks are very helpless
when they are first born. They
-
have no hair,
no teeth, no ears and their eyes are shut tightly.
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Our Third Hike
IT IS a warm spring afternoon.
Large clouds drift along lazily in the sky. Nature seems to have
"spring fever." Everything is so drowsy. Leaves on the trees
scarcely move.
Look at that bird, high, high
in the air. See how he sails without flapping his wings. It
is a hawk, toying with air currents. Gliding in this manner is his
way of resting. He literally sits on the winds and lets them carry
him along.
It would be easy for us to be
lazy today, too, but we will not. Too many things are happening in
nature. What do you suppose is going on down in Sweet Sue's Skunkland?
What do you think those eight babies are doing, and how is the mother taking
care of her large family?
Get on your walking shoes, and
we shall see. This is an active time for skunks. They usually
sleep through the middle of the day, and then begin to prowl during the
afternoon. Sometimes they prowl all night. Let's go!
Our laziness leaves us when
we start hiking. We walk through a meadow, and two cottontail rabbits
jump up near our feet and race into the distance. They certainly
move fast. No spring fever there!
We walk through an old orchard.
An ovenbird sits in a tree and scolds us for being too near his nest which
is hidden somewhere in the tall grass. We can always recognize this
bird, often called the "teacher bird," for he says plainly, "Teacher! Teacher!
Teacher!"
We are nearing Skunkland now.
How familiar it has become to us! We pass through the farm.
It has a deserted look. The farmer is not there to wave his friendly
greeting. Rover is not in his usual place to say "hello" with his
wagging tail. The farmer may have taken his family, including Rover,
to the village on a shopping trip.
Where is our friend Sweet Sue?
We watch the entrance to her home under the old stump, but she does not
appear. We search the grove and the hillsides with our eyes, but
we still cannot find her. Listen carefully at the place where we
found the skunk den. Do you hear the voices of the young skunks?
No? Well, what has happened here?
We go down to the little pond.
Sweet Sue may have gone there to catch a frog for lunch, but she is not
about. Apparently she has not been here, for we do not see her tracks
in the sand and mud.
Worried, we wander back toward
the farm. Are you concerned? I am. Do you suppose something
has happened to the skunk family? Did she move her babies because
we dug down into her nest?
We stand in silence and try
to answer our own questions. Suddenly, a great commotion  breaks
the stillness. What a racket comes from the direction of the farmer's
chicken coop. The door is open. Out comes a flurry of squawking
chickens. They run and fly and jump to get as far away from that
chicken coop as possible. We run over to see what is causing the
trouble.
We peek in the door cautiously,
and there in the straw that the farmer has provided for chicken nests,
we see our friend Sweet Sue.
"Was she after the chickens?"
you ask.
No, it is not likely.
Skunks seldom attack chickens. Look again, and you will see what
it is Sweet Sue wants. Note that she is eating the eggs in that nest
as quickly as she can. The farmer will not like that, of course.
However, the skunk does many things that are good, and the farmer will
probably forgive her. But the farmer will be careful to keep his
chicken coop door closed in the future.
It is time for us to move a
short distance away from the coop and let Sweet Sue come out. If
she thought we had her cornered, she would not like it, and we would be
sorry. Remember what happened to Rover.  We
would not enjoy that experience, so we move back a little way.
She moves slowly and deliberately
when she comes out through the door. Now we watch something cute!
Look closely. The mother skunk wants a drink, and she goes up to
the chickens' water dish. Two chickens come to drink, too.
See how they watch Sweet Sue.
The chickens seem to understand
that the skunk will not harm them, for they do not fly away. This
is not the same situation that we saw in the chicken coop.  There,
the chickens were confined, and they were afraid. The skunk probably
frightened some of them away from their nests. But they are not confined
here, and the skunk does not chase them. When Sweet Sue finishes
her drink, she moves away. Then it is the chickens' turn to drink.
Sweet Sue wanders off through
the grass and  searches
for food. We watch her from a distance. We wish skunks were
not so fond of eggs. Stealing and eating eggs is one of the skunk's
few faults. Soon she may come upon the nest of a pheasant, and eat
the eggs just as she did those in the chicken coop.  If
she frightens a wild duck from its nest, she will have another raw omelette.
People would like her so much better if she would stick to a diet of grasshoppers
and bugs. But she will not. She likes EGGS!
Suddenly she darts away.
She goes over the hill and toward the pond. Quickly! We must
keep her in sight. We walk to the top of a ridge, then hide behind
trees and bushes. Sweet Sue is standing in a little patch of gravel.
A few feet before her is a creature that is not very pretty.  It
is a snapping turtle, one of nature's really tough creatures.
The gravel patch between the
skunk and the turtle tells a story. It shows unmistakable marks of
digging and scratching. Now we know what has happened here.
That turtle has made a nest in the gravel, and deposited many eggs, perhaps
as many as thirty or forty altogether.
Sweet Sue has her own ideas about
those eggs, and she waits until the turtle moves on. The turtle will
not defend her nest. This animal feels little responsibility about
protecting her young. She simply digs a hole, lays her eggs in it,
covers them over with gravel and does not return. The heat of the
sun hatches the eggs. Sometimes, the eggs do not have a chance to
hatch. Many wild wood creatures want those eggs. Raccoons,
foxes, coyotes and even dogs like them. But no one likes them more
than our friend Sweet Sue. An egg is an egg, she thinks, and it does
not make any difterence who laid it.
Now watch closely. The
turtle goes into the pond. Sweet Sue looks for the exact location
of those eggs. Her sensitive nose locates them quickly, and she digs
them out. A feast is in store for her! Well, if Sweet Sue must
have eggs, it is better for her to eat turtle eggs.  Turtles
are not valuable creatures. Because they kill fish and baby ducks,
it does not matter that the eggs never hatch out into young turtles.
Here is an exciting idea!
Do you suppose we could get back to Skunk Castle and have another look
at the babies before Sweet Sue returns from her banquet? Let's try
it!
We hurry back to the old stump,
and listen carefully. Yes, we hear little whimpering voices.
The babies are beginning to get hungry and they are chattering about it.
We must work quickly because
we may not have much time before the mother returns. She has timed
her trips well, for she knows when her babies are hungry. We take
away the stones, and dig out the dirt with our hands. The sound of
little voices becomes louder.
Excited, we remove the last
stone. We point our flashlight inside and turn it on. There
they are! All eight of them! They are three weeks old now,
and they have fur. See how their stripes are developing? The
white line between each skunk's eyes is prominent now, too. They
look
like skunks.
When they see us, they are not
at all afraid. One takes a few awkward steps in our direction.
Do you suppose we could reach
in and pet one?  We
reach toward one, and then see something that makes us stop. There
is an extra skunk edging into the huddle before us, and it is a
large one. Sweet Sue has returned, and the look on her face indicates
that she wants us to leave.
We do not need a second invitation.
Where is that rock? Where is it? We are careless this time,
for we feel too sure of ourselves. We do not remember where we placed
that al1-important stone. Sweet Sue moves toward us just as we find
the rock and force it in place. The opening is closed! We do
not mind that our fingers are pinched. We must finish the job of
building up the wall. Then we must leave!
We run away, pausing only to
see Sweet Sue peering out from under the stump. Her expression seems
to say, "Now that's enough of that. Don't ever do it again."
She does not need to worry.
We will never look in her nest again. Her babies will be large enough
to have their own odor sacks soon. If we opened that hole again,
nine skunks might turn their odor on us at once. Who, just who, would
want that to happen?
HERE IS WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED
-
1. A skunk likes eggs.
He will raid a chicken coop to get his favorite
-
food.
-
2. He also raids the ground nests
of wild birds such as pheasant and
-
ducks to get
their eggs.
-
3. He locates and digs up the
eggs of turtles and helps keep their
-
population
down. Since the turtle destroys young ducks and fish, the
-
skunk is performing
a service to man when he eats their eggs.
-
4. Baby skunks, at three weeks
of age are covered with hair. Their
-
stripes can
be seen. They are still in the nest and are fed by the
-
mother, but
they are beginning to move around. At this age their
-
eyes are open.
|
Our Fourth Hike
A FEELING of summer is in
the air as we hike again. The clover and grass make a thick carpet
beneath our feet. The trees are heavy with leaves. Daisies
in bloom look like fancy fried eggs. Violets smile up from moist
places. And hillsides are blue with phlox.
It is fun to meet nature on
these hikes. It makes you feel that you have a part in all this interesting
drama of the outdoors--and you have!
We take the shortest route to
Skunkland, where Sweet Sue and her family live. 
And there is the friendly farmer on his mowing machine. He is cutting
clover.
See how strong and willing his
horses are. You can tell that the farmer is kind to them. Maybe
they know that this clover is for them. It will be gathered into
the barn. During the winter when pastures are covered with snow,
it will be part of their food. Then it is called hay, and the horses
love to eat it.
"Have you seen the skunk lately?"
we ask when the farmer comes near.
"Sure have," he answers.
"Been around here a lot. She likes crickets and there are lots of
them. She caught a field mouse a while ago and went away carrying
it to her babies. The little fellows have teeth by now and they need
meat along with their milk. They should be coming out of the nest
soon. Once they start eating meat they are about ready to leave home
and do their own hunting.
Then we must hurry. It
would be thrilling to see them come out of that nest the first time.
Let's get to our hiding place near Skunk Castle and watch.
Once more we must wait.
We crouch back of the bushes and peer anxiously toward the old stump.
The entryway shows there has been a lot of coming and going. No doubt
Sweet Sue has a hard job. There are eight little stomachs, besides
her own, which she must keep full.
By the way, have you wondered
why we have not seen the father skunk? It seems he should help feed
and care for his family, doesn't it? Well, if he did show up around
Skunk Castle, he probably would not be very welcome. Sweet Sue would
undoubtedly give him a whipping and chase him away.
You see, skunk fathers do not
behave very well. They have a bad habit of eating baby skunks!
No wonder mother skunks will not let father skunks come near until the
young ones are rather large.
Let's be quiet now. Here
she comes! She hurries along through the tall grass, heading for
her home. She has something in her mouth. What is it?
Look through your field glasses. Now you can see clearly, as she
approaches the entrance. She has caught a chipmunk and is bringing
it home.
Of course, we do not like her
to kill chipmunks, for they are friendly animals. But they are part
of her diet, and she helps keep chipmunks and other small animals from
becoming too numerous anyway, she will not catch many chipmunks.
Like gophers they are too quick. When an enemy comes in sight, they
disappear into their underground homes.
Listen! Hear the happy
squeals of the babies as she gives them a morsel of food? But she
is coming out already. She must get more food. One chipmunk
is simply not enough for eight hungry youngsters.
Come, let's follow her and see
what she does next. Keep out of sight the best you can, and do not
follow too closely. See that quick movement as she catches a bug?
You did not think she could move so fast, did you? Well, a skunk
is very fast when it wants to be.
What is that moving about on
the patch of sand toward the pond? It is a long, fat garter snake!
Look, the skunk has seen him, or else caught his scent. She rushes
to the spot. Now you will see action.
The snake senses danger and moves
away. A sudden dash and Sweet Sue has him. Her sharp teeth
sink in just behind his head. She shakes him fiercely, and the struggle
is over.
With her prize in her mouth
she hurries back to her nest. She carries the snake through the doorway. 
But look! There is a young
one peeking through an opening in the side of the stump. He wants
to know where mother is getting all those delicacies. Maybe this
is his first look at the outside world. He seems excited, doesn't
he? But he is six weeks old now. It is time for him to think
about leaving the underground nursery.
The hard-working mother disappears
into the den, and two little heads are thrust out of the doorway.
Remember how they looked when we first saw them--before they had any hair,
or ears, or their eyes were open?
How they have changed!
They are so filled with energy they seem about to burst. They have
a good coat of hair now, and their markings are well defined. See
the white line between their eyes and the white crown.
Oh, oh! One is coming
out. How timid he is! He takes one step at a time and acts
as if something were pulling him back.
No doubt that little fellow is breaking the rules. He should not
be out alone at his age. The world is full of dangers he does not
understand yet.
Hear that shrill cry?
It is from a red-shouldered hawk. There he is--in that tree.
Focus your glasses on him. He is coming this way. He would
like nothing better than a fat, baby skunk for dinner.
Our little friend is in serious
trouble, though he does not know it. The sharp talons and fierce
beak of the hawk can make mincemeat of him in no time. The huge bird
comes on, getting closer and closer. He is within striking distance
now.
He spreads his wings for that
swift, death-dealing strike for which he is famous. He is not really
a bad bird. In nature's scheme, he does much good by feeding on rats
and mice and other harmful creatures. But we do not want him to get
that cute little skunk!
Something is happening in the
den now. There is a lot of commotion inside. Apparently Sweet
Sue has discovered that one of her offspring is missing. How she
knows, we can only guess. Maybe she has some secret way of counting
them in the darkness. Or perhaps she heard the hunting cry of the
hawk.
Out the doorway she comes, ready
to fight the whole world if necessary. She glances toward the hawk,
raising her tail as if to say, "Come on if you want to, and I'll give you
something you won't forget as long as you live."
The hawk has no wish to attack
Sweet Sue. The little fellow would have been fine, but this other
one is much too large. Perhaps the hawk has met a skunk before and
recalls what happened.
Sweet Sue is not waiting around
for a fight, however. 
With a quick move, she grabs the young one by the neck and bites hard enough
to make him squeal.
Handling him in no gentle manner,
she whisks him into Skunk Castle. No hawk would dare enter there.
Foiled, the hawk flies away, and we call after him, "Go get yourself a
field mouse. You like them better anyway."
Now from Skunk Castle come pathetic
little cries, and we guess that Sweet Sue is teaching her youngsters to
behave.
We will leave now and come back
early in the morning. Things are happening fast in Skunk Castle,
and we do not want to miss anything.
Now let's count over the things
we have learned about skunks on our fourth hike:
THINGS WE HAVE LEARNED:
-
1. Father skunks are likely to
eat baby skunks. So the mother skunks
-
drive the
males away during nesting time.
-
2. When baby skunks get their
teeth, at about five or six weeks, they
-
need meat
as well as milk. The mother skunk catches small game,
-
such as chipmunks
and snakes, for them.
-
3. While a skunk is usually slow,
it can he amazingly quick when
-
catching game.
-
4. Birds of prey such as the
red-shouldered hawk, often catch baby
-
skunks.
Thus, mother skunks are careful to keep track of their
-
brood.
When a young one is in danger, the mother is fearless in
-
defending
it.
-
5. At six weeks baby skunks have
a good coat of fur. They are strong
-
and active,
and ready to learn about life in the big outside world.
|
Our Fifth Hike
NIGHT still cloaks the world
as we set out on this hike. The stars are sparkling
beautifully. Do you know how to find the north
star? First, locate the Big Dipper. Four stars make up the
bowl, and three stars make the handle. It is a large figure and easy
to find.
Now, fancy a line between the
two stars that make the lower edge of the bowl, opposite the handle.
Imagine that this line were drawn through the sky. Imagine that it
extended for three times the distance between the two stars. This
will bring you near another star, the brightest in that area. It
is the North Star.
But it is not the stars that
brought us out at this early hour, is it? No, it is Sweet Sue and
her family. Something wonderful may happen any time, and we must
be there to see it. Any hour Sweet Sue may take her young ones out
for their first training in the forest and fields. It will be a thrilling
thing to see, and we tingle with excitement.
The first gray streaks of dawn
are in the east as we reach our hiding place near Skunk Castle. Stars
slowly disappear from the sky. Over at the farm a wakeful rooster
crows, and others answer him. Tree toads are calling.
From high in the sky comes the
flat, unmusical cry of a bird. Do you recognize it? It could
be described as a squawk. A night hawk, you say? That is right!
He is a marvelous flyer. He zigzags through the air, feeding
on insects and crying in that strange tone.
Now you can see him against
that pink cloud. Notice that he works higher and higher, and he circles.
Then he does a peculiar thing. He holds his wings in a gliding position
and makes a high-speed nose dive toward the earth. Watch, and listen
closely.
A short distance above the tree
tops he ends his dive, leveling off. Now there is a different sound--almost
like the call of a duck. Strangely, that is not a vocal sound.
It is made by the rush of air through his feathers as he stops his downward
plunge. Now he takes up his zigzagging flight once more, gathering
insects, and working his way upward. When he is high enough, he will
execute that dive again.
The morning light grows stronger,
and the world about us takes form. We can make out Skunk Castle.
A silent, dark form moves along the ground and enters it. Sweet Sue
has been out on a hunting trip and is returning. No doubt she has
some article of food for her family. Will she take her family out
now? No one can answer but Sweet Sue, and she just lets us guess.
Full daylight comes, and still
all is quiet at Skunk Castle. We watch and watch until our eyes grow
tired. We remain quiet, however, using all the patience we have.
Sweet Sue must bring those youngsters out soon. They are six weeks
old now. By the time they are eight or nine weeks old, their training
will be finished and they will be out in the world on their own.
Our hope fades as the hours
drag by. Mid-day is when skunks like to rest. Sweet Sue probably
has her family all cuddled up in a woolly pile back in the den. We
wait on.
At noon we eat some sandwiches
we brought in our pockets, but our eyes never stray from the doorway in
that old stump.
"All things come to him who
waits." It is late afternoon, and we begin to doubt that this saying
is true. But suddenly, without hesitation or timidity, Sweet Sue
comes walking out. Then comes that thrilling sight for which we have
been watching! Eight cute and cunning little skunklets trail behind
her.
You ask, "How do the little
ones know they are to come out now?"
No one can answer that question.
Sweet Sue has come and gone through that doorway scores and scores of times.
The young ones watched her and made no effort to follow. Now they
are to follow and they know it. Somehow, she has told them.
That is sure. But how, she alone knows.
See how jaunty and fearless
they are! They have perfect confidence in their "weapon." Even
at their tender age they are fully armed. Woe unto anything that
attacks!
Notice the difference in their
markings. Several have full-length stripes like their mother.
One has only the mark on his head and the start of a stripe. Still
another has one long stripe and a short one. Some have a white tip
on their tail. Some do not.
Now, let's keep as close to
them as we can without frightening them.
Fortunately for us, the skunk
is not worried by every sound or movement. We may stay a short distance
away, watching from behind the trees and bushes. This is serious
business to our skunk family. The little ones are being trained in
what they must do to survive in the big world they have entered.
There is no time for play.
Sweet Sue teaches them by example.
She catches a cricket. One of the babies comes up to get it, but
she keeps it away from him. From this day on, if he wants food he
must catch it for himself. This he does, and so do the others.
Through the grass they go, gathering a harvest of bugs.
Sweet Sue shows them about the
old log, and they all dig in it. A few grubs are their reward.
She shows them some plants that are good for food. Then she leads
them into a patch of wild strawberries on the hillside. See how they
go after those berries! Later they wiIl find raspberries and blackberries
to add to their diet.
Now one little fellow who has full
length stripes discovers a snake. He is wild with excitement.
From a few feet away Sweet Sue watches the youngster. Though he has
never battled a snake before, he knows just where to strike it. "How
does he know," you ask?
Well, that kind of knowing we call instinct.
The snake is dead quickly, and the young hunter makes the most of his meal.
Sweet Sue leads her litter on.
Sometimes they are in a long straight line. Sometimes they are everywhere.
How quickly they learn what to do and how to do it. At first, grasshoppers
are too fast for them and get away. But the youngsters learn to pounce
suddenly on the hopping creatures, and they seem very fond of eating them.
We observe an interesting thing
about this family. There is some kind of silent talk between the
mother and the young. See how they are scattered, each tending to
his own little problem? The mother is with them most of the time.
Yet sometimes she disappears into the grass or brush. They make no
attempt to follow her. They seem to know she will return.
But presently she wants the
family to move on. She walks away as she has done many times before.
Yet this time they all leave what they are doing and follow her!
She has made them understand that it is time to go on to other food and
other adventures.
Now Sweet Sue leads her family,
and us, toward the little pond.  Here,
in a shallow pool, are three frogs sunning themselves. Watch the
babies. This is a kind of food the mother has often brought to the
nest. Will they recognize it, and can they catch those quick jumping
creatures before they get to deep water?
Once more we see the marvelous
quickness of the skunk.  Sweet
Sue does not need to show them how. Two of them pounce on one frog
and drag him out of the water. The other two frogs, frightened and
bewildered, jump right toward the skunks. Sweet Sue catches one,
and the youngsters catch the other. There is a sharp scuffle among
the skunks to decide just who gets the delicate dinner. Finally,
everyone gets some.
How long will the hunting lesson
last? If the skunks are as tired as we are, it will
be over soon. But Sweet Sue has more things to
teach her brood before they return to the nest. See? She is
leading them into the meadow. They have found a nest of field mice.
What excitement! The mice run and jump for their lives, and the young
skunks go right after them. It looks as if the skunks are having
more fun than ever. They go jumping and running about, even after
the last mouse is caught.
Sweet Sue has a definite purpose
in mind. She leads her family across the meadow. The baby skunks
follow obediently. Sweet Sue heads directly for a place where a dozen
beehives are on the ground. These hives belong to our farmer friend,
and here the bees make lots of honey for him.
What is Sweet Sue going to do
there? Watch through your glasses, for we would not want to be too
close if those bees get angry.
The family of skunks go up to
the very entrances of the hives. Now, could you believe that if you
did not see it yourself? The bees swarm about them, but Sweet Sue
and her family are unconcerned. See, they are catching the bees and
eating them!
How can they do that and not
he stung? They know the trick and the nine skunks account for a great
number of bees. The farmer is not going to like that. Eating
bees is another fault of the skunks, for bees are valuable.
At this moment, something happens
to bring the first hunting lesson to an end. Out on the still evening
air comes the voice of an owl. Sweet Sue shows immediate concern.
She gives a note of alarm, and her family comes to her.
The voice is like that of the
great horned owl, her worst enemy. No wonder Sweet Sue is concerned.
The voice comes from a tree.
But the owl is very hard to see because he blends so well into the forest
background. Can you see him, if you look closely?
Sweet Sue goes straight for
the grove and Skunk Castle. She passes very close to us and does
not notice us. The weird call comes again. The skunk parade
increases its speed. Into the den they go; Sweet Sue is the
last one in.
The voice comes from a tree
again. Sweet Sue does not know it, but this is not the great horned
owl. It is the long-eared owl. He is much smaller and not so
dangerous to animals like the skunk.
Sweet Sue and her family will
not come out for a while. To hear an owl is a very frightening thing
for them, and they will stay in until danger is past. We are glad
to go home, too, for Sweet Sue has worn us out on this first hunting lesson.
We leave Sweet Sue and her family
to recover from their fright.
This has been a grand hike,
and we have learned many things about the skunk. We shall list them.
THINGS WE LEARNED
-
1. When young skunks are about
six weeks old, they are ready to leave
-
their dens
and go on training trips under the guidance of their mother.
-
2. The mother skunk shows her
young how to catch bugs, grasshoppers,
-
mice and small
snakes.
-
3. Like many other animals, the
skunk mother has a silent method of
-
talking to
her babies to make them obey her.
-
4. Skunks catch and eat live
bees, including the stingers.
-
5. When the training time comes,
baby skunks are prepared to use their
-
odor weapon.
-
6. Not all striped skunks are
marked the same. Some have white at the
-
head and no
stripes. Others have two long stripes, which may run
-
from the head
to the end of the tail. Some have a white tip on the tail,
-
while others
do not. But all of them have the white stripe between
-
their eyes.
-
7. The great horned owl is the
skunk's worst enemy. The huge bird does
-
not mind the
odor of the skunks, and will attack even a full-grown
animal.
|
Our Sixth Hike
THREE WEEKS have slipped by
since we saw Sweet Sue and her family on that first hunting trip.
Will you ever forget how cute they were? Remember how they chased
bugs and mice and the way they scampered home when the owl called?
Though we were not there to
see it, Sweet Sue probably took her litter hunting many times after that
first adventure. She had many things to teach them. They learned
to get food, to find a home, to defend themselves and to know their friends
and enemies in nature. This training went on day and night.
Each skunklet was being prepared to make his way in the world.
Now we are anxious to go on
another hike. We shall hike out to Skunkland and see what else we
can learn about these interesting animals.
Notice that summer has come
to our fields and groves. The wheat, oats and corn are
growing high. Wild roses bloom on the hillsides,
and other flowers make a colorful carpet in the meadows.
We have a strange feeling as
we approach Skunk Castle. The old stump and den seem deserted.
Wind and rain have filled the doorway with sand. There are no animal
tracks to be seen. Surely no creature has gone in or out of the doorway
recently. Shall we look into the den?
We begin to remove the rocks.
Do you feel a little nervous about doing this? I do.
True, at the doorway it looked as if no animal had entered
for days. But suppose the skunks have made a new entrance and are
inside? Better be ready to leave in a hurry!
We reach the last rock.
Then we sit for several minutes and wonder what will happen to us.
It is quite still inside the den, but skunks are capable of being very
quiet.
Then our courage returns, and
we remove the stone. We flash our light into the den. No living
creature is there. We are greeted with emptiness.
The wall has caved in slightly
and partly covers the bed of leaves and grass. It is a deserted home,
and the sight of it leaves us with a feeling of loneliness. Those
skunks were our friends, and we feel an interest in them.
We search over the hillside
and down by the pond. No skunks. We call Sweet Sue, forgetting
that she does not know the name we gave her.
Come. We will ask the
farmer if he knows anything about the animals. He is plowing in the
corn field with a tractor. He halts his machine and shuts off the
engine so he can talk to us. "The baby skunks?" he says, in answer
to our question. "Oh, they grew up. They're scattered all over
the country by now. Have to scatter, you know. Wouldn't be
enough food for them if they all stayed in one place."
With a feeling of regret, we
ask about the mother skunk. Has he seen her? Is she all right?
"Yes," he says, with a laugh.
"She moved in on us. Stays under the barn. She gets along fine
with the animals. You might see her over there. Be careful
though. A big male skunk comes to see her occasionally, and he isn't
so friendly. I'm glad to have them around. They do a lot of
good on the farm."
We ask him if the animals eat
chicken eggs and kill his honeybees.
"Yes, they would," he says,
mopping his brow. "But I put up wire around the chicken house, and
I put my beehives on a platform four feet off the ground. They are
out of the skunks' reach. A skunk can't climb, you know. They
pay me for my trouble by killing rats, mice, worms and bugs."
We walk over to the farm buildings
and look around carefully. Yes, there is a skunk near that fence--but
it is not Sweet Sue! See how large it is, and notice the white tail!
Sweet Sue has a black tail. That big fellow is not friendly, either.
Look at him disappear into the hedge at the sight of us! This is
the large male skunk the farmer told us about. He is probably Sweet
Sue's mate.
We go over to the barn.
Our farmer friend told us Sweet Sue is living under this building.
There is a hole leading under the foundation, and there are skunk tracks
here. That is the entrance to her new home.
The barn door is open.
We look in and see a pony.  He
is watching something near his front feet where there is a rustle in the
straw. We look closely, and there is Sweet Sue!
Remember, the farmer said the
skunk and the farm animals were friends. But look out! Sweet
Sue is coming our way. Get behind that shed and watch!
Here she comes! She is
a large and beautiful animal, and it seems that her fur is thicker than
when we last saw her. She is fatter, too, so she is getting enough
to eat. Now that the responsibility of raising her family is over,
she is gaining weight and taking life easy.
As she comes out the door, she
runs right into the farm cat. What will happen now?
Will the cat have the same experience Rover had?
No, apparently they understand each
other. Sweet Sue does not even give a warning signal. She pokes
her nose at the cat in a friendly greeting. The cat playfully
touches Sweet Sue's nose with her paw.
Then Sweet Sue ambles on.
She walks among the cattle and horses without fear. They do not notice
her. She comes upon a dish of food put out for the chickens.
She helps herself to more than her share. Although the chickens might
not like it, they do not object.
Then Sweet Sue goes on down
a lane toward the place where we saw the big male skunk, and disappears
into the hedge. Maybe they ''have a date."
We turn our steps homeward now.
Our hike is just about over. We look back on the endless acres of
fields, pastures, orchards and groves. Somewhere out there, are eight
skunks we knew as babies. What will happen to them? Not all
of them will survive. One or more may fall victim to great horned
owls, foxes, coyotes, wolves or even dogs. Sometimes these animals
grow so desperately hungry that they will brave the spray of a skunk.
The skunks which do survive will grow fatter and fatter as the season goes
on.
But the most terrible danger
our skunks must face is the steel trap. Trappers place these cruel
steel jaws where skunks live. After the hunter has dried the skins,
he sells them to companies that deal in furs. Here, again, the skunk
serves mankind. His hide, with its pretty fur, will be used to make
coats or to trim them.
Not all of our skunks will be
caught that way. Those which escape will live on through the autumn.
When winter comes, the animals will sleep most of the time. Some
of them may return to Skunk Castle. Often a number of them den up
together to keep warm.
It would be nice if Sweet Sue
and her babies huddled up together for the winter. It is possible.
However, when next spring comes, they will scatter far and wide, and each
will find a home of his own.
Sweet Sue may keep Skunk Castle
for her own then. When next April comes, there may be more babies,
and our story could start all over again.
Did you ever hear this poem?
Say it again. Say it several
times rapidly, if you can! Now, what have we learned on our sixth
hike?
THINGS WE LEARNED
-
1. As soon as a mother skunk
has trained her little ones in the art of
-
hunting, they
go hunting independently.
-
2. The animals may desert their
home in late summer and wander about
-
the countryside.
-
3. Skunks may become friendly
with farm animals and get along
-
peacefully
with them.
-
4. Farmers may prevent skunks
from eating chicken eggs by properly
-
fencing in
the chicken yard. They save bees from skunks by putting
-
the hives
on platforms four feet or more off the ground. Skunks
-
cannot climb.
-
5. After baby skunks are able
to take care of themselves, male skunks
-
may return
to the family.
-
6. The worst danger skunks face
is the hunter's steel trap. Many skunks
-
are caught
and killed this way every year. Trappers sell the skunk
-
hides to be
made into coats and as trimming for other garments.
-
7. Other enemies which kill skunks
are the great horned owl, foxes,
-
coyotes, wolves
or dogs. However, these predatory animals must be
-
very hungry
before they will risk the spray of a skunk and attack him.
-
8. Skunks sleep most of the winter.
A number of them may sleep in the
-
same den in
order to keep warm.
-
9. Our hikes have been great
fun, and we are going to do more of them
-
in the future.
We will learn more about the great world of nature.
|
|
