The 2016 Skunkie Egg Hunt is this coming weekend, Sunday the 13th from 1 to 5 pm at Judy Slade’s house. There will be an egg hunt for the skunks and the people! Spring Prince and Spring Princess and Friendliest will be awarded. Lunch will be served, its a fun time for all! Skunk owners in or near central Florida won’t want to miss this event.

It appears that the state of Tennessee has changed it’s mind about pet skunk ownership. Initial approval of the change has been approved. This is seems like a positive move forward that hopefully other states may follow in their footsteps. NASHVILLE — A bill to allow Tennesseans to keep skunks as pets has won initial approval in committees of both the House and Senate with the sponsors contending it will provide a moneymaking opportunity for breeders of domesticated and de-scented animals. The Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee approved the bill — SB1821 — in less than two minutes on a 7-1 vote without discussion beyond a brief explanation by Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta, the Senate sponsor, who said 17 other states already allow skunks to be kept as domestic pets and sold, including the border states of Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia. The bill is scheduled for a Senate floor vote this week. The discussion was somewhat more lively in the House Agriculture Subcommittee, where the companion bill was approved on voice vote with Rep. Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar, asking to be recorded as voting no after questioning sponsor Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, at some length. Faison said the bill was requested by constituents. Initially, “I thought it was a joke,” he said. But on looking into the matter, Faison said that skunks can be sold as pets for up to $1,000 each and there could be “tons of revenue” for those eager to engage in skunk marketing. There is […]

The State of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has proposed some changes that will affect pet skunk ownership in Oregon, if passed into law. The draft proposals are in various stages of review by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Division, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission. Oregon pet skunk owners have until March 4, 2026 to send their comments in. On March 18, 2016, there will be a meeting to discuss and decide whether to adopt some, or all of these proposed changes. Read all proposed changes here. At this time, it appears that a Wildlife Holding Permit will be required and owners will be limited to 2 skunks unless they can get approval for more. Breeding is not allowed and skunks will have to be spayed or neutered if two of the opposite sex are housed together. Ownership can only be transferred to other permit holders with prior approval. Facility or home checks may be required. Skunks are required to be permanently marked with a lip tattoo or RFID device. Caging requirements listed below must be met. There is also quite a bit listed about grandfathering for wildlife that is currently, legally owned. The owners will have a year to comply with the new requirements, once they have been finalized. Cage Requirements for Mustelids Ermine (Mustela erminea) Long-Tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata) Skunk (Mephitis spp.) • Enclosures require a 32 square foot area per animal with an enclosure at least 4 feet in height with […]

Introducing the the Pet Skunk Message Board, an online community for skunk owners to chat, ask questions and post pictures of their pet skunks. The message board is public so you can read the topics but if you would like to join in and post, you need to register here. Stop in regularly and share stories about your pet skunk!

The show was great as usual! It is priceless to catch up with old friends and put faces on the people I have corresponded with during the year. Below is the list of winners. I’m sure it was difficult for the judges this year as there were so many beautiful skunks entered. If you missed this one, it is not too early to plan for next year. More information coming soon. Albino Albino Overall 1st - Petals - R. Collum Albino Senior 6-10 1st - Petals - R. Collum Black Classic Black Adult 1-5 1st - Victoria - L. Cober Black Adult 1-5 2nd - Myla - L. Judge Black Adult 1-5 3rd - Logan - J. Lowell Black Overall 1st - Victoria - L. Cober Black Senior 6-10 1st - Reilly - L. Butler Black Senior 6-10 2nd - June Bug - R. Collum Black Senior 6-10 3rd - Daingerfield - M. Howe Black Chip Black Chip Adult 1-5 1st - Thelma - A. Peckham Black Chip Adult 1-5 2nd - Suki - M. Ellis/ Perez Black Chip Adult 1-5 3rd - Cassie - M. Ellis/Perez Black Chip Junior 1st - Ginger - L. Berry Black Chip Junior 2nd - Newt - S. Brunson Black Chip Overall 1st - Ginger - L. Berry Black Chip Overall 2nd - Newt - S. Brunson Black Chip Overall 3rd - Thelma - A. Peckham Black Chip Senior 6-10 1st - Nala - L. Bean Black Chip Senior 6-10 2nd - Harley - […]

So you are a skunk owner and are wondering if it is time to add another skunk to your family? This may not be as simple as it sounds. In the wild, skunks are solitary creatures. They interact during mating seasons and in northern states, adults will den together for warmth. Some skunk owners mistakenly believe their skunk requires the company of another skunk only to find their beloved pet reacts with hostility or violence to the newcomer. An adult skunk can sleep at least 20 hours per day and they do NOT require companions other than their human family. If you are new to pet skunks, please do not make this mistake. Some things to consider if you are thinking of adding another skunk: 1) you have the time to properly introduce the new skunk to the household. 2) you can afford the additional medical care. If you have one skunk and struggle with the cost of Veterinary care, you will be doubling that cost by adding another skunk. 3) you can afford to properly feed the newcomer. 4) you have the space in your home to safely house both skunks. If the skunks do not get along, are you willing and able to keep them apart for their safety for as long as it takes? In some cases, this means permanently. In my house, the main exercise we get is by going over the baby gates that section off rooms. 5) you understand skunks are captive wildlife that […]

Sadly, obesity is much too common in pet skunks and one of the leading causes for their current short lifespan. Obesity is completely the owner’s responsibility! It is difficult to help the skunk owner who doesn’t realize that they are the source of the problem. People are shocked when I ask if the skunk is calling Domino’s to order a pizza? The owner buys, prepares, and serves the skunk the food. Who else could be a fault? I get responses like the skunk gets into food for other pets; the bird feeds the skunk; the skunk is starving and gets mean if I don’t feed them; or my boyfriend, husband, roommate feeds the skunk junk food. All these are excuses that sounds as if the owner is aware of the problem but hasn’t done anything about it. Remove anything eatable out of reach of the skunk. Block access to rooms where other pets are fed. Feed skunk correctly so he/she is not starving and get boyfriend, husband, roommate on the same page regarding skunk’s diet. The skunk should NOT be running the household! If there is one thing we know about skunks, it is that they are opportunistic scavengers. They have an uncanny ability to figure out who will give them what they want and they will focus on that person.   There are 4 reasons the skunk is obese: the wrong type of food is being fed (not species appropriate). the wrong portion is being fed (if the food […]

I have started a glossary of pet skunk terms to make it easier for those who may be unfamiliar with some terms used in pet skunk care. I will update as the Mephitis Advocate grows. You can view it here or click on the link under resources. Let me know your suggestions for terms not yet added.

Welcome to the new Mephitis Advocate pet skunk blog! It has been a few years but the Advocate is back, better than ever, in blog format. Visit the archives for the previous version of the newsletter in pdf format. Mephitis Advocate meaning Mephitis mephitis: derived from Latin, a noun describing the most common and widespread North American skunk. Advocate: a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. Put the two together and you get Mephitis Advocate, a blog about the care of pet skunks. We hope you will enjoy this informative blog. Questions and comments are welcome!