Details
Mephitis mephitis
A widespread North American skunk with bold black-and-white warning coloration. It avoids many predators with a powerful defensive spray.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Striped skunks use grasslands, forest edges, farms, suburbs, gardens, and riparian areas. Dens occur in burrows, hollow logs, or spaces under buildings.
The body is black with white head markings and back stripes, plus a bushy tail. Stripe width and pattern vary among individuals.
They are nocturnal and give warning displays by stomping, raising the tail, and turning the body. If threatened further, they spray from anal scent glands.
They eat insects, larvae, small mammals, eggs, fruit, seeds, carrion, and refuse. Digging for grubs and insects is common.
Mating occurs from late winter into spring. Females rear litters in dens, and in cold regions winter activity may be reduced.
Because they live close to people, striped skunks are locally important in wildlife disease monitoring, including rabies management.
