Do Poway skunks hibernate in the winter?
If you spot a Poway making a den as it comes closer to the winter months, you may thin in that they are preparing for hibernation. This is also suggested by the film "over the hedge", where the Stella the Skunk wakes up at the same time as the other hibernating animals. However, we aren't in a cartoon and skunks do not actually hibernate.
So what DO they do then?
They do not hibernate, but instead make a den for which they use to try and keep warm during the winter months. California skunks are usually in their dens on their own, however they have been known to share a den with other skunks in order to keep warm. They make burrows through a variety of different resources, including underground burrows, tree logs which have been hollowed out, underneath people's porches and sheds, or anywhere where there is a form of shelter from the elements.
During the day Poway skunks can enter a state of torpor. This is like hibernation where the breathing, metabolic rate, and temperature of the animal decreases BUT there are two main differences between torpor and hibernation. The first is that the skunks breathing, metabolic rate, and temperature do decrease, but not to the same point as an animal that is hibernating. Secondly, skunks do still hunk during the night, after any food it can find.
If you see a California skunk that is preparing for the winter, it is best that you contact a professional to deal with it, as you do not want to sprayed and a professional will be able to move it to a location where the skunk is able to prepare for winter and risking the animal dying for not knowing where food and water sources are, or being exposed to predators. Do Poway skunks hibernate in the winter?
Visit our Poway wildlife removal home page to learn more about us.
So what DO they do then?
They do not hibernate, but instead make a den for which they use to try and keep warm during the winter months. California skunks are usually in their dens on their own, however they have been known to share a den with other skunks in order to keep warm. They make burrows through a variety of different resources, including underground burrows, tree logs which have been hollowed out, underneath people's porches and sheds, or anywhere where there is a form of shelter from the elements.
During the day Poway skunks can enter a state of torpor. This is like hibernation where the breathing, metabolic rate, and temperature of the animal decreases BUT there are two main differences between torpor and hibernation. The first is that the skunks breathing, metabolic rate, and temperature do decrease, but not to the same point as an animal that is hibernating. Secondly, skunks do still hunk during the night, after any food it can find.
If you see a California skunk that is preparing for the winter, it is best that you contact a professional to deal with it, as you do not want to sprayed and a professional will be able to move it to a location where the skunk is able to prepare for winter and risking the animal dying for not knowing where food and water sources are, or being exposed to predators. Do Poway skunks hibernate in the winter?
Visit our Poway wildlife removal home page to learn more about us.