Striped skunks make a living throughout North America, from southern Canada into northern Mexico. Their diet is primarily insectivorous during the spring and summer seasons when grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, bees and other arthropods are abundant, then switches to a carnivorous diet during colder months. Skunks make a variety of sounds, including hisses, growls, squeals, soft coos and churrings. They prefer open areas with a variety of habitats and inhabit particularly mixed woodlands, brushy corners, and open fields interspersed with wooded ravines and rocky outcrops. And, like these two other mammals, skunks walk in a plantigrade manneron the soles of their feet with heels touching the ground. And now, this skunk group has a few more members. Size: 18-32 inches long; up to 8 lbs. Striped skunks were a staple of the fur trade into the 1950s, but low pelt . Barton, H. D., and S. M. Wisely. [10], The striped skunk may dig its own dens, though it will appropriate those abandoned by other animals should the opportunity present itself. Until the early 1990s, Minnesota dominated regional harvest. Because striped skunks are abundant, their populations are often susceptible to diseases such as rabies. The striped skunk is a medium sized carnivorous mustelid ranging from 520 to 770 mm total length and weighing between 1.8 and 4.5 kg ( Valdez-Villavicenio et al., 2014 ). Other summer foods include spiders, toads, frogs, lizards, snakes, mice, chipmunks and the eggs of turtles and ground-nesting birds. Their senses of sight, smell and hearing have been judged poor to fair compared with those of other wild mammals. Here, we report the observation of tentative tool use in a wild striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), captured by a trail camera in the front yard of a hobby naturalist who shared the photographs on social media. Some female yearlings will stay with their mothers into the coming winter. The skunk lives in a variety of habitats but prefers open areas. 0 inches Weight: Between 3 and 10 pounds. 1-Nov. 12; Sunday Nov. 13; Nov.14-Nov.19; Sunday Nov. 20; Nov. 21-Nov. 26; Sunday Nov. 27; Nov. 28-. The eyes open after around three weeks, and are weaned after 4256 days. Of the 3 skunks that underwent necropsy on 3 dpi, 2 had infectious virus in the turbinates but not in other tissues tested. The most frequently consumed insects include grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, caterpillars, other insect larvae and bees. Once they are weaned, the young skunks will follow their mother in a single file line and learn to forage and hunt. The striped skunk is a mostly nocturnal omnivore. A strong market for fur-trimmed cloth coats developed in the late 1930s as our country recovered from the Great Depression. In general, adults range more widely than juveniles, males more widely than females. The resultant "dog training lesson" can offend a whole neighborhood. Their tail is bushy and long, with long white and black fur. Mephitis memphitis has proven highly adaptable. Litters number 2 to 10 kits. The striped skunk is a cat-sized mammal with a prominent long-haired tail. [4] Skunks are notable for being easy to trap, even approaching traps they had been previously caught in. Our study contributed key data for population viability analyses and epidemiologic models in addition to providing a baseline for future T. cruzi surveillance among skunks and other wildlife species. Stripes vary in length and width among individuals. One outbreak can kill 80 percent of a regional skunk population in less than a year. Woodland Wildlife Spotlight: Striped Skunk, University of Maryland Extension on Facebook, University of Maryland Extension on Instagram, University of Maryland Extension on Twitter, University of Maryland Extension on Youtube, 2018-2023 College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect, instructions for how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. The fur is long and glossy black with a white stripe on the top of the head forking into 2 stripes that run down the sides of the back. A very large subspecies with a heavily furred, medium-sized tail. In Kansas, the striped skunk is recognized as a leading rabies vector, often accounting for 80 percent of more of the animals that test positive for the disease each year. Cases of rabies in this species are generally epizootic and recurrent. As an opportunistic feeder, it will fill its diet with a variety of insects, small mammals, eggs, and occasional plants. Wildlife researchers have estimated an average of one skunk per 10 acres of prime habitat and 13.5 skunks per square mile of agricultural land. Skunk pelt prices may have doubled from about 1939 through the early 1940s, but they were never as valuable as red fox. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [2], While primarily an insectivore, the striped skunk is adaptable enough to incorporate other animals and even vegetable matter into its diet. Widespread, it is found in suitable habitat from sea level to timberline in all 48 contiguous states, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. Spotted skunks will also use barns and out buildings for cover. Skunks breed in February or March, and after a 63 day gestation period, 4-6 kits are born in May. They are quite at home in a variety of landscapes, from wooded areas to grasslands and agriculture fields, and even in urban areas, among humans. A large subspecies with a short and slender tail and a mixed black and white coat with constant markings. One of the most common skunk complaints, a strong odor of skunk essence during the nights of early fall, often is the result of inadequate home maintenance and of allowing dogs to roam free at night. Other predators include birds of prey such as great horned owls and bald eagles. A Striped Skunk in Queen Annes County, Maryland, 2020. Once the mating period has finished, the impregnated females confine themselves to their dens, while the males attempt to rebuild their fat reserves. [10] Although their musk is still undeveloped, kits of this age will instinctively assume the defensive stand position when threatened. Description. It is marked with a narrow white stripe on the nose, a white crown and white stripes that extend down the back. Moving a skunk in a box trap is easy if you cover the trap with a dark blanket so the animal can't see you. A threatened striped skunk will try to run away from a perceived predator. Proudly founded in 1681 as a place of tolerance and freedom. [11], The striped skunk is easily tamed and was often kept in barns to kill rats and mice during the 19th century. Wanders onto beaches at low tide eating stranded animals. Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striped_skunk, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/41635/0. Below, we have summarized the various classifications, monitoring, research, and contact information for each state alphabetically. Striped Skunks reach the lowest torpid body temperature of all carnivores, dropping from 98.6F to 78.8F (37C to 26C). They are slightly larger and their scent is not as strong as the Eastern Spotted Skunk's. Description: A medium-sized, stout-bodied mammal with a small head, short legs, and a prominent, bushy tail. At birth, striped skunks weigh less than an ounce. [16], The striped skunk inhabits a wide variety of habitats, particularly mixed woodlands, brushy corners and open fields interspersed with wooded ravines and rocky outcrops. The first emerged from the Texas-Mexico region during the Rancholabrean before the Illinoian glaciation and colonized the southeastern United States. Females give birth in May, often in woodchuck burrows, to an average litter of six. Mostly nocturnal and does not hibernate. Skunks have poor eyesight and mostly hunt by nose and hearing, so it can be easy to startle one. Residential areas that have both lawns and large, mast producing shade trees often provide optimal habitat for skunks. They also prey on woodchucks and other young animals in burrows. In some states, like Florida, skunks may be killed only during a season, but harvests year-round are allowed in most states. 2012. The skunk excels at this potential and can discharge a foul-smelling fluid as a means of defense. Skunks often leave holes in the ground where they forage for insects or tear apart ground nests of small animals. Skunks are susceptible to distemper and rabies. The Striped Skunk. Hunting and trapping are regulated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, regulations. Some specimens have a white patch on the chest, while others bear white stripes on the outer surface of the front limbs. The long and sharp claws of a skunks forefeet are well-adapted to digging. Skunks are also popular characters in children's stories, comics and cartoons, most notably the Warner Bros character Pep Le Pew and the Disney character Flower of the 1942 animated film Bambi, their musky odor making them a source of fear and ostracization. As the Maryland winter approaches, striped skunks begin looking for a den to spend the winter. However, these animals may still be harvested in most parts of Canada and the United States. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; additional terms may apply. . Newborns are helpless and rely completely on their mother. A muscle-encapsulated gland positioned under the tail produces a liquid that can be expelled. They can weigh from 6 to 14 pounds. Come spring, striped skunk males will mate with several females during late February through early March. Kits are able to follow their mother on hunting trips at two months, and soon after disperse. Total length: 20 to 28 inches. That describes North America's most common skunk, the striped skunk, but they also have smaller, spotted cousins. Go to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. This happens in early fall because skunks search for cubby holes to spend the winter. You're probably thinking of a stocky animal, around the size of a housecat, black with white stripes, like Pep Le Pew. If threatened, a skunk drums its forefeet on the ground, snarls, arches its back and raises its tail. After three weeks, their scent glands become functional; at four weeks, their eyes open; and at about two months the young are weaned and ready to leave the den for nighttime hunting forays. Striped skunks can be found throughout Pennsylvania, but the highest densities are associated with agricultural areas. Found north of Mexico, it is one of the best-known mammals in Canada and the United States. Skunks are solitary and typically nonaggressive, and they have not historically been a serious threat to homeowners, agricultural producers and other wildlife. Photo by Smithsonian Wild. Their diet will vary depending on whats available during each season. Predatory birds, including golden and bald eagles, and great horned owls tend to have greater success in hunting skunks, though they still risk being blinded by their prey's musk. Members are our strongest champions of animal conservation and wildlife research. This page is available in other languages. Striped skunks are the biggest of the skunk species. Their practice of digging leaves small-but-noticeable pits in the ground, which can provide evidence of their presence in an area. Spotted skunks were common around farms, and state harvest peaked at 19,400 in 1946, before populations plummeted. They have been observed living in wooded areas, deserts and plains, and have even adapted to urban and suburban environments. [13] It can be sprayed at a distance of several meters. Striped skunks can experience delayed implantation lasting up to 19 days. Young are born blind, with eyes opening between 2-4 weeks of age. Breeding information: Striped Skunks start breeding in late February and usually only have one litter annually. [11] Alternative English names for the striped skunk include common skunk,[12] Hudsonian skunk, northern skunk, black-tailed skunk and prairie polecat. Striped skunks reach reproductive maturity when they are 10 months old. [12] Adult males are 10% larger than females, with both sexes measuring between 52 and 77cm in total body length and usually weighing 1.84.5kg (4.09.9lb), though some may weigh 5.5kg (12lb). Habitat: Occurs around rocky, dense habitat, including fencerows, shrubby field borders, and farmland. Prairie region of Illinois, western Indiana, and eastern Iowa. Black coat with white stripe that begins on forehead and then divides in two. Eastern Oregon, northern California, and Nevada; east to the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. The eastern spotted skunk, also known as the civet cat, reaches its northernmost limit in the northcentral United States. The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis ) is a skunk of the genus Mephitis that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. The Great Horned Owl is the chief predator of skunks; the skunk's odor does not seem to deter them. The regulations allow only a limited, open harvest season. The breeding season is from February to April, and females typically give birth once a year. The remedy is to close or screen all holes and crawl spaces, and to keep dogs confined. A medium-sized subspecies, with a longer tail than that of. Mammalian predators typically avoid skunks, unless they are starving. Immune to snake venom, these animals will eat poisonous snakes such as rattlesnakes. It is about the size of a house cat and has a potent musk that often overshadows the beauty of its glossy and durable fur. Wade-Smith, J. Male total length ranged from 24.8 to 29.9 (630-760 mm) in Minnesota, and female total length ranged from 21.2 to 25.6 (540-650 mm) in Minnesota. Skunks are intelligent and usually good-natured. Duluth, MN 55811, NRRI Coleraine[emailprotected] The white markings are usually very broad. Throughout the winter, they have been observed eating small mammals and ground-nesting hatchlings and eggs, and hunting amphibians, reptiles and fish. If cornered, the striped skunk will turn and confront its opponent, arching its back and displaying its long and bushy tail to make itself appear larger, followed by stamping its feet. It is not unusual to see a female skunk with a line of little black and white copies following her across a damp pasture or lawn on an early July morning. These skunks only travel about 800 m from their home, yet they can walk about 2 km (1.2 mi) per night. The the striped skunk in Tennessee is the most commone and it occurs state-wide. Worldwide,Mephitis mephitisis restricted to North America. Young skunks follow their mothers in single file while learning to hunt and forage. Population. The chemical makeup of skunk musk varies by species, but each version contains compounds called thiols that are responsible for the foul smell. Skunks. Washington, DC 20008. Despite their unique system of defense, they are eaten, chiefly by great horned owls but also by eagles, crows, vultures, coyotes, foxes, dogs, bobcats, mountain lions, American badgers, and even humans. The second, still originating in the Texas-Mexico region, expanded westwards to the Rocky Mountains during the Illinoian glacial period. Striped skunks are omnivores and eat both plants and meat. Adult skunks are about two feet long, including a 7- to 10-inch tail. A skunk can shoot musk about twelve feet, but will use it as only a last resort, preferring, instead, to bluff an enemy. They travel widely in search of mates and breed with several females if possible. Variations include striping patterns and coloration; some striped skunks may be cream-colored with no visible striping. But the omnivorous striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)New England's only native The one limiting factor is a need to have a water supply close by, generally within 2 miles of their home range. 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