There are many
animals that if you see them out in the daytime
you can be sure that there must be something
wrong with them. For example, the opossum should
not be seen out in the daytime at all. These are
true nocturnal animals that only hunt for food
at night, primarily because their eyesight is so
bad. If they are out in the day light then it is
likely that they are so sick that they have lost
their instinct for survival. If you see an
animal like this, you should avoid it and run
away.
Many wonder if this is true of the skunk as
well. Like the opossum, these animals hunt at
night as well. They have superior hearing and
sense of smell, but their eyesight is not very
good either. This is why they like to hunt at
night, because they are at an advantage over
most other animals.
What makes the skunk different from animals like
the opossum is that, while its eyesight is not
that good, these are not nocturnal animals. In
fact, a skunk is known to travel as much as 50
kilometers in one day, as it forages for food,
better places to live, or a mate. They do not
prefer to be out during the day, but are not
averse to doing so.
This should tell you that you cannot consider
the skunk being out in the daytime as proof that
it has rabies. If you see an opossum out, often
it is because it is in the final stages of the
disease destroying its brain, and so it is just
making rash decisions without any instinct
behind it.
This is not true of the skunk. The skunk will
come out in the day, and so if you are worried
about it having rabies you need to look for
other symptoms. This includes such things as
foaming at the mouth or erratic behavior. One of
the most common types of erratic behavior is for
it to be quite aggressive.
Skunks are not normally afraid of many animals
because of their ability to spray those
predators that would see them as food. However,
this does not mean that they are out looking to
pick a fight either. If you notice this then you
can be sure that something is wrong, and you
need to stay away.
While being out in the daylight does not mean
that the skunk has rabies, they should still be
avoided at all costs. They still carry a great
many illnesses and parasites with them, and if
they get close enough to spray you then you will
be really unhappy. The one thing you should be
happy about is that if you see it in the
daylight it is easy to spot and easier to get
away from. Read more:
Skunk
Control,
how to
kill skunks.
