February is skunk mating time. Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

Striped skunk, Animal Advocates, Mary Cummins

February is the beginning of skunk mating season here in California. Males will travel across roads to find mates. For this reason February is the month when they are most likely to be killed by cars. The cars and neighborhood end up smelling like spray for weeks. Below are some tips on how to avoid hitting a stinky skunk with your car. Please, share this note with your friends.

Skunks are generally out at dawn, dusk and at night to find mates, food and water. Because skunks have few predators they have big egos. They assume that any predator will see their stripes and walk away. Mountain lions, bears, coyotes run away from skunks. They don't realize a car is not a predator. A car also can't see them on the road and will not "walk away."

Please, give wildlife a break.  Here are some Safe Driving Tips from the Humane Society of the United States.

Slow down. Many animals needlessly become victims simply because people drive too fast to avoid hitting them. Speed poses a risk to human safety as well.
Watch for wildlife in and near the road at dawn, dusk, and in the first few hours after darkness.
Be cautious on two-lane roads bordered by woods or fields, or where streams cross under roads. Most animal/vehicle collisions occur on these roads. Slow down to 45 mph or less.
Even on a limited access highway, watch for wildlife.
Scan the road as you drive, watching the edges for wildlife about to cross. This will also make you more aware of other hazards such as bicyclists, children at play, and slowly moving vehicles.
Don’t throw trash out car windows. Discarded food pollutes the environment and creates a hazard by attracting wildlife to the roads.
If you see an animal crossing the road, slow down. Where there is one animal, there are probably others—young animals following their mother or male animals pursuing a female.
Use your high beams whenever possible.
Lower your dashboard lights slightly. You’ll be more likely to see your headlights reflected in the eyes of animals in time to brake.

Starting in about a month we will have skunk babies. Around six weeks of age babies will follow mommy to find food, water and shelter. Keep your eyes open for a mom skunk with six babies running behind her. You're more likely to hit skunks on windy canyon roads with blind turns because you can't see them in time to stop. Slow down.

If you find an ill, injured or orphaned skunk, you can locate a wildlife rehabilitator here. http://www.mary.cc/How%20To%20Locate%20a%20Wildlife%20Rehabilitator.html

Thanks, from everyone at Animal Advocates.

http://www.AnimalAdvocates.us
http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA


Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

• Mary Cummins LinkedIn
• Mary Cummins Meet up
• Animal Advocates custom Facebook name
• Mary Cummins Real Estate blog
• Animal Advocates on Google maps
• Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates
• Mary Cummins biography resume short
• Mary Cummins Real Estate Services
• Animal Advocates fan page at Facebook.com
• Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Squirrel Rescue
• Mary Cummins Animal Advocates on Flickr photos
• Mary Cummins Animal Advocates on Twitter.com
• Mary Cummins on Picasa web photo albums
• Mary Cummins on MySpace.com
• Mary Cummins on Google Blogger Blogspot
• Mary Cummins on YouTube.com videos
• Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates on Classmates
• Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates on Google+

Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect