The striped polecat can be found in many areas of central and southern Africa. They like the more dry and arid climates such as savannahs and open countries. As far as size, they are 28 inches in length with a nearly 6 inch tail. As with all polecats, they have a defensive anal scent gland which we will talk more about in a bit.
I was shocked at how many names this musty has. Depending on who you ask, the striped polecat can be known as an African polecat, a zoril, zorilla, the Cape polecat, or the African skunk. The name zorilla apparently comes from the word zorro which means "fox." Bur really! Zorro?! Why isn't he in California?!
The striped polecat doesn't make friends easily. The only time two striped polecats get together is likely for mating purposes. They really just like to be left alone. They roam about almost entirely at night hunting small animals like rodents, snakes, and birds. In the daytime, they sleep in burrows NOT made by them. This is similar to the steppe polecat. This guy is known for invading the burrow uninvited, and if anyone gets in his way, they get acquainted with his 34 sharp teeth.
Now, skunks are actually known for being fairly indifferent with other animals. If you get in their way, they just spray you and walk off. The striped polecat, however, is just mean. If he sees someone who he doesn't expect, its a prelude to war. This is what will happen: First, the striped polecat will growl in a nasty way. He'll turn around dramatically with his tail in the air. (Here comes the bad part.) He'll spray you with a nasty concoction that will not only smell terrible, it will also blind you. This is a new kind of bad. Imagine being in the middle of Africa blind and smelly. That will probably be the end of you.
I really was impressed with how aggressive these guys are. Skunks spray out of defense; the striped polecat sprays anything that moves. Sometimes, nature just works out that way. They say that a good offense is the best defense. Well, that's true. If I ever saw one of these guys, I'd just run away without saying, "goodbye." It is for this reason that I see these guys more suitable as villains in fiction. I just see one of these musties sitting in a "mastermind's swivel chair" railing to the world that nobody understands him, so everyone must pay! He's going to make the world stink! All his henchmen have to wear hazmat suits because he doesn't get along with anybody. See how this would be fun? I sure do!
The striped polecat is a cute, little meanie and yet ANOTHER reason not to go to Africa. They may look like skunks, but believe me: they are a lot worse!
Thank you for reading this blog! If you enjoyed it, you can comment below, or you can email me at tooie@tooiekangaroo.com. I'm blind!
Hitting someone with a stink cloud and then blinding them is just plain mean. There is not much to misunderstand about these villains. The best thing you can do is to keep your distance.
ReplyDeleteOur skunks are friendly in comparison.
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