Who's Who in the Folsom Zoo; Meet Funk, the skunk

Editor's note: This is a weekly feature in the Folsom Telegraph where readers will get the opportunity to meet Folsom's furriest. This week's "Who's Who in Folsom Zoo" is Funk, the skunk. Funk the skunk was born in 2012 and came to live at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary in the summer of 2013. He was raised as a "pet" and is de-scented so he cannot safely live in the wild. A wild skunk's best protection is the ability to spray, so Funk is not able to defend himself from predators. In the wild, skunks typically live just 2 to 3 years, but in captivity they can live as long as 15 years. Skunks are found throughout most of North America. They prefer open habitats such as woods, grasslands, and agricultural clearings but are often found in suburban settings. At the zoo sanctuary, Funk lives in the Miner's Shack area. In the daylight hours, he's usually in his house, sleeping under a mound of blankets or sharing the cabinet area with Poppy the opossum, and enjoying the warmth of the heat lamp. Funk enjoys enrichment items that his zookeepers provide for him, and he especially likes to tear into cardboard boxes and tubes filled with food treats. He is especially skilled at painting with special non-toxic paints, and zoo campers enjoy watching him create one of his art masterpieces. The reason nearly everyone leaves skunks alone is because these unassuming animals have scent glands armed with about one tablespoon of yellowish, oily musk. A sulfur compound called n-butylmercaptan is what gives the liquid the telltale skunk smell. Skunks are thoughtful about spraying because it takes 10 days for their glands to recharge. Skunks will click their teeth, stamp on the ground, and raise their back legs into the air in an attempt to warn off an approaching predator. If they're startled very suddenly, or unable to warn off a predator, they will direct their scent glands toward the eyes of the enemy with accurate aim at distances up to 12 feet. Skunks have good hearing, and senses of smell and taste, but have very poor vision. They are opportunistic omnivores who enjoy insects, small mammals, birds and their eggs, crustaceans, fruits, grasses/leaves/buds, grains, nuts and carrion. At the zoo sanctuary, Funk's main diet includes a variety of vegetables, dog kibble and canned dog food, mealworms, and nutritional supplements. He loves food and will follow his zookeepers around until they put his food down. His favorite treats are mealworms and crickets. Skunks are rarely preyed on by other mammals except out of desperation. Their main predator is a raptor with a diminished sense of smell, the great horned owl. They may be hunted by humans for fur. Deodorized skunk musk was valued as a perfume base because of its clinging quality, but nearly all of the musk used in today's perfume industry is synthetic. Visit Funk and all of the other amazing animals at the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary, 403 Stafford Street, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Consider joining the amazing team of volunteer docents! The Docent Training class begins Feb. 10. For more information, go to folsom.ca.us or call 916-461-6601.