Skunks

[edit] Guide Note

Skunks are mammals from the family that includes badgers and weasels. Skunks have black and white fur with spots or stripes. The most common skunk is the striped skunk.

[edit] Fast Facts

1. Habitat: Pastures, prairies, open land surrounding forests.¹
2. Diet: Omnivorous²
3. Size: 8 to 19 inches (head and body), 5 to 15 inches (tail)²
4. Weight: 7 ounces to 14 lbs²
5. Lifespan: 3 years in the wild²
6. Endangered: no
7. Predators: Great horned owls, coyotes, dogs and humans³

1. Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)⁴
2. Hooded Skunk (Mephitis macroura)⁴
3. Eastern Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius)⁴
4. Palawan Stink Badger (Mydaus marchei)⁴
5. Eastern Hog-Nosed Skunk (Conepatus leuconotus)⁵
6. Western Hog-Nosed Skunk (Conepatus leuconotus)⁶

Male and female skunks are not seen together except for breeding purposes.⁴ Breeding for adult skunks takes place in February and in March for yearling females. Litter size varires from two to sixteen, with babies being born in May and June.¹ The litter will stay close to the mother until the fall.¹ By the following spring, both sexes are mature enough to reproduce.

Skunks use a spray made from sulfuric acid as their defense mechanism. When they feel threatened, they will warn their assailant by stomping their feet.⁷ If the warning is not heeded, they contort their bodies, lifting their tails and spraying their assailant. Two scent glands produce the spray, which is emitted through the anus. This spray burns the eyes and nasal passages upon contact.⁴ The odor from the skunks spray is difficult to remove and may last for several days.