Nothing let's us know that fall is actually here better than a full week of rain. But with the rain and cooler weather, we finally have some skunks! SKUNKS!!!
One of the things that we did not foresee was just how much the rain was going to affect us. The temperature has been in the mid-50's and with the rain, it's downright cold while we're working up our critters. Not to mention, our critters were getting soaked too. This should come as no surprise because we are in the Pacific Northwest after all.
Wet animals are problematic for 3 reasons. First, there is a concern that these animals will become hypothermic. When we chemically immobilize these animals, the drugs that we use make it harder for the animals to regulate their temperature. When wet, it is even harder for the animal to keep warm, much like humans have a hard time staying warm if their clothes are wet. Water just drains the warmth out of our bodies. Second, we are trying to see if we can identify skunks using their unique markings and patterns of black and white fur. When wet, their fur gets matted down and bunched together so it's difficult to see what their fur actually looks like. Finally, it was nearly impossible to dry off the skunks using towels or burlap.
So, we've had to make a few adjustments to deal with the rain and the temperature. First, we've created an improvised tent by hanging a tarp off the back of the tonneau cover of the truck. Second, we've acquired a propane heater to keep us warm while we work. Let me tell you, the propane heater is a game changer. Not only does it keep us, the researchers, warm while we work up the animal, it also helps dry off our animals.
Once we have the animal in hand, we quickly apply some lubricant to the eyes and weigh the animal to make sure it is large enough to handle the radio-collar we put on the animal. When chemically immobilized, the skunks cannot blink, so the ointment helps protect their eyes. For wildlife research, guidelines state that the collar should be less than 5% of the animal's body weight so it does not affect its behavior. (Imagine being abducted by aliens and having something attached at is more than 5% of your weight! It could make it much more difficult for you to get around.) Then, we take a series of photographs of the face, tail, and dorsal (back), ventral (belly), left side, and right side views of the animal. After the photos, we record body measurements: the length of the head, body, and tail. We also record the sex of the animal and note tooth wear. Finally, we fit the animal with 2 metal ear tags and a radio-collar so we can identify the skunk if we catch it again. After this, we return the animal to the trap so it can recover from the drugs. Typically, we keep the trap closed so the animal can recover without worrying about being a larger predator's dinner. After an hour or two, we come back to the trap and open the trap door to let the animal go. Check out these videos of some skunk releases!