in maintaining them. Nevertheless, raising skunks was considered good practice for amateur fur farmers wishing to later move on to more valuable furbearers like martens, sable, mink and silver foxes. Taming The striped skunk is easily tamed and was often kept in barns to kill rats and mice during the 19th century. Selective breeding has resulted in the emergence of various color mutations, including black, chocolate-brown or smokey gray and white, apricot, albino, white, lavender, champagne and mahogany. Other uses The striped skunk was regularly eaten by trappers and indigenous peoples, provided the animal was not too old or had not sprayed before being killed. American zoologist Clinton Hart Merriam described skunk meat as white, tender, sweet and more delicate than chicken. The meat was prized by Chinese immigrants, who also bought skunk gall bladders for medicinal purposes. The fat was once reputed to make an excellent lubricant. The musk was once used as a folk remedy for asthma, despite its very strong odor. References Skunks skunk, striped Mammals described in 1776 Fauna of the United States