Species

Striped skunk

Mephitis mephitis

A black-and-white omnivore whose famous spray is a last-resort defence, not its first response to trouble.

Photo Ryan Hodnett (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Occurrence: Native to North America
Habitat: Fields, woodland edges, farms, suburbs and mixed landscapes
Diet: Beetle grubs, insects, mice, eggs, fruit, carrion and other available foods
Activity: Mostly nocturnal
Shelter: Burrows, hollow logs, rock crevices and sheltered spaces under structures
Social pattern: Usually solitary, though several may den together in cold weather
Rabies vector: Yes

Identification

Key marks: Black body with one or two broad white stripes running from the head toward a bushy tail
Told apart from: Eastern spotted skunk, which is smaller and patterned with broken white spots and stripes
Where to look: Fields, woodland edges, farms, suburbs and mixed landscapes

Behaviour

It is mostly nocturnal. It uses habitats including fields, woodland edges, farms, suburbs and mixed landscapes. It feeds on beetle grubs, insects, mice, eggs, fruit, carrion and other available foods.

Skunks forage slowly with the nose close to the ground, digging for grubs and insects. Before spraying they usually give escalating warnings such as foot-stamping, tail-raising or body postures.

Skunks dig for beetle larvae and other soil invertebrates, providing natural pest control while aerating small patches of soil.

Why they matter

Skunks eat beetle larvae, grasshoppers, mice, carrion and other foods that people often regard as pests. Their small digging pits turn over patches of soil while they hunt.

Spray is chemically expensive to replace, so the animal benefits by warning first and saving it for situations where escape fails.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Mating — usually February through April, earlier in the south and later farther north.
Gestation — about 59–77 days.
Kits — commonly 4–7 are born in a den in spring.
Dependency — kits follow the mother on foraging trips after several weeks and are largely independent by late summer.

Living around people

Keep dogs on a lead at night where skunks are active; most spraying incidents happen when a pet rushes too close.
Secure rubbish and pet food.
Check beneath sheds and porches before blocking den openings, especially during the period when young are dependent.
Use tight wildlife-safe mesh rather than loose netting that can entangle an animal.

Misconceptions

A skunk active in daylight is automatically rabid. Daylight activity can be normal, particularly for a parent feeding young; neurological signs matter more than time of day.
Skunks spray without warning. They usually give conspicuous warnings first and prefer to leave rather than spend their limited spray.
Skunks are useless around homes. Their diet includes many lawn grubs, insects and small rodents.

Related species

Eastern spotted skunk

Seasonal activity

When this species breeds, and where it spends the rest of the year. The notes say what it is doing each month.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Activity is reduced during cold spells, but skunks do not remain in continuous deep hibernation.	Mating season begins and adults may travel more widely.	Breeding continues; females seek secure den sites.	Pregnancy and denning increase.	Kits are born and remain in the den.	Young begin following the mother on short foraging trips.	Family groups forage together at night.	Young become increasingly independent.	Juveniles disperse and feed heavily on autumn insects and fruit.	Animals build body reserves and may select winter dens.	Several skunks may share sheltered dens during cold weather.	Activity becomes intermittent during cold spells but resumes on mild nights.

Where it lives

Recorded in 71 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Treated as a rabies-vector species in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas. There, only a certified rehabilitator may take one.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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