FOOD HABITS OF THE SKUNK. 
BY FRANK C. PELLETT. 
In observation of the food habits of the birds of prey one can take 
advantage of the fact that food must be brought to the young in the 
nest. With the skunk, which is a nocturnal animal, many difficulties 
present themselves in gathering sufficient information on which to base 
a conclusion, and it must be confessed in the beginning that the results 
are rather of a negative than a positive character. Animals in captivity 
adapt themselves to their environment quickly and form habits which 
perhaps might not be normal when living under natural conditions. In 
making the observations on this animal extending over more than five 
years, the writer has used every means within his reach to acquire 
accurate information as to the natural food habits. Four individuals of 
the Northern Plains Skunk were kept in captivity for several months. 
About a dozen different individuals of the Little Spotted Skunk (spil- 
ogale interrupta) have been observed for varying periods of time without 
any restriction being placed on their movements, excepting for a day 
or two when they were brought to my home and released at nightfall. 
Inasmuch as skunks are almost universally persecuted by farmers be- 
cause of the impression that- they destroy poultry, the special thought 
has been to determine to what extent poultry does furnish these animals 
with food. That skunks do kill poultry is of course unquestioned. I have 
a mounted specimen of the larger species that killed thirty chickens in 
one night and which was shot in the midst of his victims. That the 
habit is infrequently formed I have been compelled to believe after 
looking into the matter as fully as my opportunities would permit. To 
begin with, hens were placed in the same pen with the captive skunks, 
yet although apparently an object of great curiosity, the skunks seemed 
disinclined to attack them. When the hens were removed and a mouse 
or large insect thrown into the pen the skunks behaved very differently. 
They snapped up the mouse or insect so quickly as to suprise one after 
noting their usual slow and awkward movements. Hen’s eggs placed 
field nesting birds were not, tried. 
*See Forest and Stream November 26, 1910. 
