PBS Animal Spotlight: American Badger

Skunks are known for their stinky odor, but did you know that they only spray if they think their life is in danger? When skunks are afraid, they stomp their feet, backup, and scrape the ground to warn predators that they mean business. They can spray their pungent odor up to 14 feet in a stream or a mist.

It’s a myth that if you see a skunk out during the day, it has rabies.  Sometimes on nice winter days, skunks like to go around searching for food, grub, and insects to eat.

Sweetpea came to Turtle Bay Exploration Park when she was just a couple weeks old. She was found in Shingletown on somebody’s driveway. When she was found she was emaciated and dehydrated. The people that found Sweetpea brought her to a skunk rehabber and after a couple of weeks of being with the rehabber, they realized that there was something wrong. Sweetpea has a neurological deficit and cannot survive on her own in the wild. She will live the rest of her days out here in Turtle Bay. 

You can see Sweetpea in action within our animal programs at Turtle Bay, including our Walk on the Wild Side Animal Show or one of our many Winter programs. 

You can help support Turtle Bay’s efforts by sponsoring this or any of our other animal ambassadors through our Adopt-An-Animal program.

As seen on KIXE-TV Channel 9