Zorilla

• Though not related to the skunks, convergent evolution has given it an almost identical defence.
• It can spray foul-smelling secretions from its anal glands at a predator.
• It eats small rodents, snakes, birds and insects.
• defensaDespite its Spanish name it is not a fox but a mustelid, and it can release an extremely foul-smelling secretion in defence, much as the American skunks do.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)

Habitat & environment

Savannah, grassland and semi-arid country of central, southern and sub-Saharan Africa, avoiding the Congo Basin

Birth weight

15 grams

Size at birth

Blind and helpless at birth

Sexual maturity

Female: ~10 months | Male: ~2 years (though physiological maturity may come earlier)

Gestation / incubation

36 days (some sources give ~4 weeks more loosely)

Litter / clutch size

1 to 5 young per litter (most commonly 2)

Lifespan in captivity

Documented record of up to 13-14 years in captivity

Sources consulted: AnAge; Earthpedia; Dimensions.com; BioDB; Critter Science; Wikipedia; Animalia.bio; Animal Diversity Web

Best time: All year round in sub-Saharan Africa, at night; faced with a threat it raises its tail and sprays a fluid as foul as a skunk's.