Welcome to You Ask Andy

John Horner, age 11, of Sioux City, Iowa, for his question:

WHAT IS A ZORILLA?

Surely, said Andy, this Z should be a G. For though he knew a gorilla, he had never heard of a zorilla. But he decided to check and, wouldn’t you know, there really is a zorilla. And what’s more, he turned out to be one of the cutest small animals you are likely to meet in a whole lifetime.

You might mistake the zorilla for a teen age skunk for he has a large plumy tail and his glossy black coat is streaked with white. Actually the American skunk and the African zorilla are distant cousins and both defend themselves by squirting ghastly odors. On the other hand, both of them belong to the best dressed family in the animal kingdom. Their cousins include the minks and the martins, the silky furred sables and the snowy ermines.

When you forget his horrible scent glands, it’s easy to admit that the zorilla is one of the prettiest small mammals in the world. The average adult may be 15 inches long, plus a 12 inch tail like a feathery plume. His basic color is glossy black, accented with several spotless white stripes down his back. His legs are short and his long clawed toes look like dainty little hands.

His furry body is very handsome, but what you notice most is his cute little round furry face. He has a wide forehead and his large, stubby round ears are lined with thick fur. His facial fur is black, set off with a startling white patch in the middle of his forehead and another under each ear. His bright black eyes sparkle with curiosity—plus a trace of playful mischief.

The charming zorilla belongs to Africa, where he is at home in most of the dryish regions. He prefers to sleep during the hot days, comfortably curled up in a cool burrow. At night he trips forth to feast on mice and other ratty rodents, on smallish snakes and lizards, birds and worthwhile insects. When he catches more than he can eat at one meal, he stacks the surplus in a neat storage pile.

The two or three baby zorillas are born in a burrow. But soon the little cuties follow one by one behind their handsome mother. She teaches them what a proper zorilla should know about the great outdoors—and not even the lions dare to molest them.

As you know, when our native skunk squirts his evil smelling spray, his friends and enemies depart from the scene in a great hurry. Observers report that the African zorilla may use his scent to get a free meal. If he approaches when the lions are feeding, they move away while he helps himself and then departs.

 

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