FUR FACTS 



237 



SKUNK 



In the grading and valuing of skunk the same rules apply, so far 

 as the skins being prime or unprime are concerned. But in addition to 

 the condition of the pelt and the length and thickness of the fur, 

 skunk of equal quality are valued according to the amount of black 

 fur that is on the pelt. As a rule the more white on the skunk the less 

 valuable it is. Therefore, skunk are graded as black skunk, short 

 stripe skunk, narrow stripe skunk, and then broad or white stripe 

 skunk. 



B 



Sometimes a beginner will think that he has a black skunk because 

 after he has skinned the animal the pelt turns black. A skunk 

 that is black on both sides, fur side and pelt side, is not very valuable. 

 What you want is well furred skunk; silky, glossy fur and a prime 

 pelt. These are the skins that bring the fancy prices. Other 

 kinds are valuable, of course, in proportion to their quality. 



Skunk, that are classed as black, are nearly all black, with the 

 exception of one or two small white spots on the back of the head. 

 The short stripe skunk has two small stripes running almost down 

 to the shoulders. The narrow stripe skunk has two narrow white 

 stripes, about the width of a knife blade, which run from the top of 

 the head to the root of the tail. The broad stripe skunk has the same 

 two white stripes as the narrow stripe skunk, except that the white 

 stripes are about twice as wide as those of the narrow stripe skunk. 



