Many animals, including humans, when they encounter a skunk know that these little creatures pack a powerful punch. Skunks are equipped with several anal scent glands. When the skunk is threatened by a predator, the anal scent glands will release an offensive odor into the environment. This chemical modality sends the message to predators of the skunk’s identity and the message to “stay away if you don’t want to get sprayed”. What other ways do skunks communicate to predators to avoid them all together? A University of California- Davis Professor has discovered that the black and white coloration of the skunk and the size and form assist in predator avoidance. Professor Jennifer Hunter is a wildlife researcher and published her finding in the journal of Behavioral Ecology.
She used stuffed mounts of skunks and foxes to conduct her experiments. Some of the skunks she painted the fur dark gray and the fox fur she dyed black and white similar to the skunk colorations. She then placed the taxidermy mount in locations around California where skunks were common and not as common. At each location she set up infrared video cameras to monitor and record the predator reactions. In the areas where skunks are not commonly found the predators would approach the stuffed animals and take off with the mounts, regardless of coloration or animal. The areas where skunks are abundant, predators would not even approach the mounts. This result shows that the coloration of the skunk and the form are learned by the predators and a clear association is made with the offensive smell from the scent glands. These characteristics send visual message to the passing bear, bobcat, mountain lion or coyote, to avoid this species of animal. So if the sight of a skunk is enough to deter large predators of the west coast, does the skunk have any natural predators? Wildlife researcher, Jennifer Hunter suggests that they probably do not. Think about it, what predator wants to be sprayed in the face with intense musk, and then have to eat a carcass that has the same offensive smell?
Update: Thanks for all the comments, and interest. As for the scent that the stuffed skunks put off was probably very minimal. The researcher was focusing on the effect of the skunk coloration, so she probably made sure that the mounts were free of a scent before the experiments. Chemical signals are able to propagate longer distances so the scent before spraying may deter predators just as effectively as the coloration. In addition it was not mentioned in the article if the different black and white coloration patterns on the skunks had an impact on the predation. Further research has to be conducted on that aspect, and was not included in the article. I have no doubt that the specific coloration's of an individual or of a species of skunk has an equally important impact in communicating to predator "stay away or I will spray"
Emerson Martin
Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092053.htm
So, the coloration of a skunk is like the coloration of say, a poison dart frog? As in, they communicate an offensive taste/odor? That's really interesting!
ReplyDeleteWhat happened if the mount had the scent of a skunk, but did not look like one? I understand that coloration must play a very important role, but does scent before actual spraying weigh in just as much in a predator's decision to attack or not?
Posted by Bethany Rappleyea
I really loved this article! I work with a wildlife rehaber, and love it when we get baby skunks! They are so damn cute! Even as babies, they have a slightly skunky smell to them. Did they mention in the article if the different black/white color patterns between skunks makes them more or less like to be preyed on? In the areas where skunks were abundant, did the predators take off with the fox fur that was painted black and white? I'm assuming there was no offensive smell associated with the fox fur. Skunks do have other behaviors they use when they are being threatened, like stomping their front feet. Sometimes they also will stand up straight on their front legs (like a hand stand) and walk threateningly towards the threat. This was a very good article! Nice job!
ReplyDelete-Emily Crete
It's interesting that predators have learned the coloration of skunks and avoid them so as not to get sprayed. This is seen everywhere in nature: poison frogs, monarch butterflies, etc. I had no idea that it was present in mammals as well. Has this been seen in any other mammals or is this a new discovery?
ReplyDelete-Tricia Carlson
This is the first I've heard of predators avoiding skunks because of their coloration, but it makes sense that they would learn to avoid animals that they know are going to spray something nasty in their face. I wonder if this will lead to the evolution of the black and white color pattern as a protection mechanism on other prey animals in areas where skunks are common.
ReplyDelete-Sarah Benjamin