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Animal Series
Skunk
Solitary, nocturnal creatures, skunks generally go about their business unnoticed. But then there’s that thing they do . . . and oh, boy, when they do it, no one can ignore them.
But there’s far more to skunks than their stench, and with this beautifully illustrated entry in Reaktion’s Animal series, Alyce Miller gives these furry scavengers their due. More than being unappreciated, skunks, Miller reveals, have a long history of killed off as smelly nuisances, they have also been hunted for their fur and, yes, their unique musk, which has found a perhaps unexpected use in perfume. Moving from nature to culture, Miller delves into the long line of skunks that have played parts in literature, film, and folklore, from the antics of Pepe Le Pew to the role of skunks in Native American spiritual beliefs. As growing urban wildlife populations bring humans and skunks ever closer, Miller’s book will help us understand—and appreciate—these beautiful, intriguing, and wholly distinct animals.
But there’s far more to skunks than their stench, and with this beautifully illustrated entry in Reaktion’s Animal series, Alyce Miller gives these furry scavengers their due. More than being unappreciated, skunks, Miller reveals, have a long history of killed off as smelly nuisances, they have also been hunted for their fur and, yes, their unique musk, which has found a perhaps unexpected use in perfume. Moving from nature to culture, Miller delves into the long line of skunks that have played parts in literature, film, and folklore, from the antics of Pepe Le Pew to the role of skunks in Native American spiritual beliefs. As growing urban wildlife populations bring humans and skunks ever closer, Miller’s book will help us understand—and appreciate—these beautiful, intriguing, and wholly distinct animals.
224 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2015
67 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 14, 2023
Another excellent volume in Reaktion’s “Animal” series, this foray into the lives of skunks was informative, engrossing, and peppered with beautiful illustrations. Intelligent without being overly academic, these books examine the scientific, cultural, and historical evolution of each animal and the skunk was fascinating (as expected). In fact, the skunk was reclassified as recently as 2009 as officially separate from weasels, fishers, and badgers! I share my “one acre of paradise” with an array of wildlife but I truly love the skunks and, thanks to this informative skunk study, I can’t wait to see them again in the spring! 🦨
September 19, 2022
All hail our most stinky friends, Mephitis mephitis! This is an excellent introduction to an olfactory powerhouse, with tons of information about skunks you never thought you'd need. Most importantly, there are many, many pictures of cute little skunks and kits, which just goes to show you "judge ye not the mammal by its cover nor the nipple-like protrusions on either side of its anus that ejects noxious gases to stun and incapacitate.." Wasn't that in the Bible somewhere? Hello?
June 17, 2018
We don't think much of or about skunks, but they're pretty cool animals. Now I know why the one I shooed into the culvert under my driveway was so chill. Skunks tend to be pretty chill in general. They'll walk right by you if you don't move and their feet resemble our feet. They also signal several times before spraying, so if a skunk is digging the ground and growling, BACK AWAY. I don't know if I would want one as a pet though because they'd dig up the house with those claws. They look cute and they are de-scented, which sounds like a process worse than fixing a dog, but they've still got teeth and claws. Skunks are good for your yard though because their digging up grubs tills the lawn. I'll admit it looks AWFUL when they're done with it, but it's grown back thick all three years I've lived here. The moles, on the other hand, are another story. I'd like to evict them to the other side of the road. Read this book if you want to challenge your perceptions of skunks everywhere. They really aren't all that bad.
February 13, 2025
The author did a great job and I’m very interested in this series now. Loaded with great photos and illustrations. I’m glad I read this when I did because I’ve been seeing skunks in my neighborhood. Urban skunks. It’s kind of damning that skunks aren’t mentioned in any book supposedly written by the creator of the universe. If I had created a creature that sprayed stink, I would definitely tell people about it. I wouldn’t keep a pet skunk, but I would like to go to a pet skunk festival.
What I learned: Zorrilo is Spanish for skunk, literally “little fox.” Skunks are a big nuisance to bee keepers.
If you are looking for the authoritative home remedy for a skunked dog, google chemist Paul Krebaum’s recipe.
America’s first multimillionaire made his fortune in the fur trade. John Jacob Astor, even shipped North America furs to China. His ships returned with opium. He used the profits to buy New York real estate. Extractive commodities, drug dealing, and real estate speculation are behind almost all American fortunes, but he was the first to do all three. He also funded the second Overland expedition to the Pacific Ocean.
The preferred term for the Anasazi is “ancient Pueblo peoples.” Anasazi was the Navajo term for “enemy of our ancestors.” Totem derives from an Algonquin word.
The French also have an expression like “drunk as a skunk” it is “pompette comme une moufette.”
“Skunk works” comes from a gag in Al Capp’s comic strip. There is a moonshiner who has a still named the “skonk works.” This joke name was later used for a location where America was developing jet fighters. It was a stinky site next to a plastics factory.
What I learned: Zorrilo is Spanish for skunk, literally “little fox.” Skunks are a big nuisance to bee keepers.
If you are looking for the authoritative home remedy for a skunked dog, google chemist Paul Krebaum’s recipe.
America’s first multimillionaire made his fortune in the fur trade. John Jacob Astor, even shipped North America furs to China. His ships returned with opium. He used the profits to buy New York real estate. Extractive commodities, drug dealing, and real estate speculation are behind almost all American fortunes, but he was the first to do all three. He also funded the second Overland expedition to the Pacific Ocean.
The preferred term for the Anasazi is “ancient Pueblo peoples.” Anasazi was the Navajo term for “enemy of our ancestors.” Totem derives from an Algonquin word.
The French also have an expression like “drunk as a skunk” it is “pompette comme une moufette.”
“Skunk works” comes from a gag in Al Capp’s comic strip. There is a moonshiner who has a still named the “skonk works.” This joke name was later used for a location where America was developing jet fighters. It was a stinky site next to a plastics factory.
April 22, 2016
This book taught me a lot. It focused a fair bit on the cultural history of the skunk, its perceptions, etc and less on its natural history. But nonetheless I enjoyed it and have a better appreciation for skunks as a result. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews