Pepe le Pew and Cupid, too
Phenology
is the study of seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate
and plant and animal life. Watching the way nature changes with the calendar
can be a neat way to track the world and make ridiculous comparisons and
conclusions about fragrant animals, diapered babies and bow and arrows, and old
cartoons characters with a French accent.
Living in
Ohio, we never know what the weather in February will bring. We can assume
snow, but even the most astute student of phenology will tell you that weather
(not climate) is not what makes most things in nature happen.
So I go to
two reliable signs of February: Love and skunks.
I’m sure
everyone will agree that February is the month of love, with the whole big
candy-filled Valentine’s Day smack dab in the middle of it. But skunks?
If you don’t believe me that February is the
month of skunk, think back over the past few weeks… you’ve smelled a skunk,
haven’t you. You probably even saw a poor, deceased skunk on the road.
Skunks,
like people, start to wake up after the coldest winter months. They don’t
hibernate, they just kind of sleep off the super cold weather, snuggled in
dens, presumably under down blankets with good books and loads of snacks and
hot tea. When the weather warms up enough to venture out, they do (most likely
for more snacks), and then go back to bed while the winter winds blow once
more.
Until
February, that is. February is when these guys and gals officially emerge looking
for love, as if they somehow felt the pressure of the holiday of heart-shaped
heart-felt pledges of adoration. The males, all Pepe Le Pew, look for love by
releasing a bit of stink to attract female skunks—not the black cat with a
white stripe as in the cartoons. This cologne is meant to be a romantic wake up
call for prospective mates. The females, if not attracted by these reeking
dudes, release their own scent to try to encourage them to hit the road and
stink up some other lady.
All this
wooing and loving and stinking back and forth and waking up from a month of
lazy naps makes for one roller coaster of a month for these striped little
critters. Mostly they’re just trying to do their skunk thing at the right time
of year, based, I’m sure, on when the boxes of chocolate and roses go on sale.
So as much
as it stinks, be respectful to your striped starry-eyed-in-love furry
neighbors. Remember how groggy you are when you wake up from a long nap and are
looking for just the right mate, and the best way know you can convince each
other is to release a little perfume from your hind quarters.
Ooh la la!
C’est magnifique!
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