Skunks In Thailand

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Thailand have such?  You know, the cat sized bugger, black fur with one or two white stripes down it's back.  When it lifts its tail, best to head out of Dodge!!

I was coming back late this morning from a short visit to Wat Tham Krabok, up towards Lop Buri.  Took the northern Saraburi bypass from Hwy 21 on over to Hwy 2, the Friendship Highway, and up a couple l'clicks to the new MAKRO outlet.

Just before the roads join, sure smelled what was like skunks I've smelled in Oregon but never heard that there is such an animal in Thailand.

??

Mac

[jEFFREYk44]

I googled "skunks thailand" and got this!

I believe they have that in Oregon also

[initiala4]

I havnt spotted one here at all....

[Briggsy]

There are no native skunks in Thailand. I have been to just about every forest in Thailand's central region and never seen, smelt or heard anyone refer to skunks. You will see squirrels, treeshrews and the smaller Himalayan Striped Squirrel. But I am not discounting the fact that there could possibly be a feral population somewhere escaped from Jatujak or the like.

Come to think of it, I don't even know the Thai word for skunk. There might not be a word as it's not native.

[jetjock]

There are no native skunks in Thailand. I have been to just about every forest in Thailand's central region and never seen, smelt or heard anyone refer to skunks. You will see squirrels, treeshrews and the smaller Himalayan Striped Squirrel. But I am not discounting the fact that there could possibly be a feral population somewhere escaped from Jatujak or the like.

Come to think of it, I don't even know the Thai word for skunk. There might not be a word as it's not native.

You are absolutely correct that there are no native skunks in Thailand and the only word in Thailand for skunk is 'skunk'. If anyone does not have experience with skunks I can assure you that you are not missing anything. We have a lot of skunks around my property here in California and my Thai wife thinks skunks are the only bad thing about living here as they sometimes go off outside the house during the night and wake her up. The aroma doesn't bother me as I have gotten used to it however what I have not gotten used to is giving our dog a bath at 2 am in the morning after he comes trotting back into the house after a late night encounter.

[ZukiSuzuki]

the only word in Thailand for skunk is 'skunk'.

What a load of rubbish, the Thai word for skunk is 'sa-gang'.

[kmart]

I think the OP accidentally clipped a somtam "pla raa" vendor on the Saraburi bypass...

If they had a native skunk in Thailand, they'd probably call it something like a "maew mehn" (stinky cat) or something? Probably.

[sbk]

On Koh Phangan they are called moo-sung and are all black. I, my Thai husband and our Thai staff all know what the animal is and have most certainly smelled it or seen it.

[jetjock]

the only word in Thailand for skunk is 'skunk'.

What a load of rubbish, the Thai word for skunk is 'sa-gang'.

Yes, I agree with you that some Thai's mispronounce the word skunk to sound like that.

[ZukiSuzuki]

the only word in Thailand for skunk is 'skunk'.

What a load of rubbish, the Thai word for skunk is 'sa-gang'.

Yes, I agree with you that some Thai's mispronounce the word skunk to sound like that.

Like i said, what a load of rubbish you speak.

[Briggsy]

On Koh Phangan they are called moo-sung and are all black. I, my Thai husband and our Thai staff all know what the animal is and have most certainly smelled it or seen it.

Thanks for getting me scurrying to research this. These are hog badgers. Not closely related to skunks. You need to go back to Order Carnivora to find the common link taxonomically speaking.

Glad to hear they're still present on Koh Phangan. Many of the larger mammals have gone or were never present on island forest. How would you describe the smell?

[sbk]

Skunky, definitely skunky. And in the animal sense, not in the sense Jeffrey is referring to

Husband described them as looking cat-like, black with some brown and smelling bad. I've never seen one, just smelled them but my husband and our staff all agree on the description.

Sorry, the Thai South word is moot-sung (but with a short sound on the moot) not moo-sung

Just showed the picture to one of our staff, thats the critter. Interestingly the Thai-English dictionary gives the translation as skunk however.

[sbk]

Chatting with the staff, and I would like to add that the deer introduced by King Rama 5 are still here, wild boars are still here, and according, to my staff, quite a few hog badgers (since I now know they are not skunks although they sure smell like them!) live around her house (she does not live near a main road or near a village). Still plenty of monitors around, pythons as well, and way too many King Cobras for my liking

[Pushit]

Thailand have such? You know, the cat sized bugger, black fur with one or two white stripes down it's back. When it lifts its tail, best to head out of Dodge!!

I was coming back late this morning from a short visit to Wat Tham Krabok, up towards Lop Buri. Took the northern Saraburi bypass from Hwy 21 on over to Hwy 2, the Friendship Highway, and up a couple l'clicks to the new MAKRO outlet.

Just before the roads join, sure smelled what was like skunks I've smelled in Oregon but never heard that there is such an animal in Thailand.

??

Mac

The only skunks in LOS either work in government house or wear uniforms.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Chatting with the staff, and I would like to add that the deer introduced by King Rama 5 are still here, wild boars are still here, and according, to my staff, quite a few hog badgers (since I now know they are not skunks although they sure smell like them!) live around her house (she does not live near a main road or near a village). Still plenty of monitors around, pythons as well, and way too many King Cobras for my liking

SKB

Hey, skunks, at least the Oregon variety don't "smell" at all, UNLESS they raise their tail and do a squirt, then it's bareable but pretty powerful.  I've heard/read of lots of cases in the U.S. where skunks have been de-scent-glanded and kept for pets, sort of like a cat, make good ones, too.  Or so I've heard.

Mac

[ozzydom]

Maybe the OP drove past a Cassova factory,When it is chopped and laid out to dry it is as vile an odour as you can get. and there are thousands of sites all over Los.

[Briggsy]

Skunky, definitely skunky. And in the animal sense, not in the sense Jeffrey is referring to

Husband described them as looking cat-like, black with some brown and smelling bad. I've never seen one, just smelled them but my husband and our staff all agree on the description.

Sorry, the Thai South word is moot-sung (but with a short sound on the moot) not moo-sung

Just showed the picture to one of our staff, thats the critter. Interestingly the Thai-English dictionary gives the translation as skunk however.

You've got me really thinking now. Thai for hog badger is moo sing, moo as in pig.

The far more common civet cat is chamot. Knowing the Southern penchant for clipping words, I am now wondering if the animal that residents of Koh Phangan refer to as moot sung is indeed one of the species of civet cat. They are fairly similar looking to hog badgers. That would explain your staff looking at the picture and agreeing that's the one. The plot thickens.

Apologies for my ignorance of Southern Thai and my laziness in not typing the Thai words in Thai but it takes me forever to find the keys!

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Maybe the OP drove past a Cassova factory,When it is chopped and laid out to dry it is as vile an odour as you can get. and there are thousands of sites all over Los.

Nah, not that, I have soem 347,000 km now on my 1989 Toyota pickup, probably 60% in the northeast and east, have passed bou coup cassova drying sites, which smell a bit sweet, not at all like a skunk.

One wag via email suggested that someone might have imported some skunk cabbage from the U.S. that'd dropped off a truck and got run over.  My reply to him below.

Mac

Never heard of "roadkill skunk cabbage" but reckon most anything is possible here in the LoS.

Go tthe mutha in Oregon, too, google: oregon skunk cabage

The UofO even writes on the subject, might as well since they can't play football!

http://tinyurl.com/2zq46y

University of Oregon Leaflet Series

Published by the Extension Division )

Botanical Bulletin March 15, 1916 Vol. 1. No. 1

Skunk Cabbage Family (Araceae )

BY ALBERT R. SWEETSER

Professor of Botany in the University of Oregon

Hey, I'm impressed, this is the FIRST article they published in their leaflet series! Must be important, will have to check out the real item next June. BTW, Sunee did like her first encounter with Juniper on a drive east of Mt Hood some years back. I pulled over to cut a sprig to take back to Bangkok. Her commene, smells like piss. My rejoinder, don't talk like that, think if GIN!

Mac