Skunk Dissection

Dr. Adam Ferguson came down to the mammal prep lab to show us how to skin a skunk. It was the smelliest dissection adventure of my life. These animals were donated to the Field Museum by licensed agencies; one was brought to a rehabilitation center where it later died, and the other was found dead and collected with the appropriate  legal permit. We did not kill these animals for the purpose of making this video.

Both skunks will be prepared as study skins (not taxidermy), and will be made available for research for many decades to come!

Learn more about how specimens are collected and used for research.

More about Dr. Ferguson and his work studying hognose skunks.