The striped skunk has been protected under the Environmental Conservation Law since the late 1800s. Coyotes, foxes, owls, bobcat and fisher will prey on skunks, and collisions with cars are a common cause of skunk deaths. Summer home ranges of 83 to 1,860 acres have been reported for skunks in Illinois. They are found in every county of Ohio as well as throughout the United States. However, recent surveys now . Striped and spotted skunks, which are both found in Mississippi, are among the most common and widely distributed mammals in North America. Eyes open when they are about 3 weeks old. The subclade that colonized the Great Basin later expanded eastwards across the northern Rocky Mountains during the Holocene, recolonising the Great Plains and making contact with the southern phylogroup. They will remain in the den for up to seven weeks; after this, they will venture out with their mothers and stay with them through the summer before seeking new territory come fall. Female Striped Skunks give birth to six to eight babies once a year only during the month of May or June. Size Total length: 14-24 inches; tail length: 4-11 inches; weight: -2 pounds (males are heavier than females). The striped skunk (or Mephitis mephitis) is a small mammal found throughout North America, including southern Canada, the US and northern Mexico. There is a significant reduction in body mass during wintermonths, when striped skunks can lose up to 50 percent of their weight. Its scientific name, mephitis, in Latin means bad odor. [13] It can be sprayed at a distance of several meters. More mature skunks will fall prey to foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and badgers. Skunks readily adapt to urban, suburban, and agricultural land use. Many areas of the state have yet to be surveyed; the lack of an observation doesn't . Length: 20.0 - 30.0 inches Skunks have small heads, with small eyes and ears and a pointed nose. Striped skunks are polygamous omnivores with few natural predators, save for birds of prey. The most distinguishing characteristic is a skunk's ability to direct a stream or spray of musk as far as 10 feet from paired anal glands. Confidence. Striped skunks are common throughout their range. The novelty song "Dead Skunk" by Loudon Wainwright III was popular in the early 1970s. Damaged building foundations and spaces underneath porches serve this purpose well. Alabama Arkansas Colorado Florida Georgia Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska They do not hibernate, and may forage for food occasionally during the season, but generally rely on their fat reserves to see them through the winter. It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on account of its wide range and ability to adapt to human-modified environments. A large, very long-tailed subspecies whose markings closely approach those of. In fall and winter, skunks eat fruit such as wild grapes and cherries; small mammals such as moles, mice, voles and shrews; plant items such as grasses, leaves and buds; mast and carrion. Fun Facts: Average Size Striped skunks stand about 6 inches at the shoulder and weigh from 3 to 8 pounds, with males being 10 to 15 percent larger than females. [1], Striped skunks are polygamous omnivores with few natural predators, save for birds of prey. It is found all across the state. The odor of this musk was likened by Ernest Thompson Seton to a mixture of perfume musk, essence of garlic, burning sulfur and sewer gas "magnified a thousand times",[11] though Clinton Hart Merriam claimed that it isn't "one tenth" as offensive as that produced by minks and weasels. (218) 667-4201 The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is the most common skunk in Texas and North America. By the late Pleistocene (70,00014,500 years ago), the striped skunk was widely distributed throughout the southern United States, and it expanded northwards and westwards by the Holocene (10,0004,500 years ago) following the retreat of the Wisconsin glacier. A Striped Skunk in Queen Annes County, Maryland, 2020. Skunks are susceptible to several diseases including canine distemper and most notably, rabies. The period of gestation for the female Striped Skunks lies between 59-77 days. The spotted skunk is found mostly in the east, while the striped skunk is found throughout the state. Skunks can spray up to 15 feet, but the smell can carry up to a mile. Each year the New York State hunting and trapping regulation guides remind hunters and trappers that the striped skunk is a valuable furbearing resource. Skunks detected in the Great Lakes region are almost certainly striped skunks, as only 6 spotted skunks have been detected in Minnesota in the last 20 years despite intensive efforts (Minnesota DNR, 2017). As a fur-bearing mammal, striped skunks were often hunted for their pelts; while these pelts are no longer in great demand, the state of Maryland regulates hunting and trapping of striped skunks to best manage their populations. There is A Striped Skunk in Wicomico County, Maryland, 2011. New Hanover. These polka-dotted relatives are smaller, about the size of a fat squirrel, and do impressive handstands to warn predators before they launch their stinky spray. Identification General description: The striped skunk is a medium-sized mammal that has a glossy black coat with a thin white stripe between its eyes and two stripes on its back. While the mammals have adapted to a wide range of environments, they prefer habitat with a variety of woodlands and open fields, which means they can also be found in both rural and suburban settings. Other names include polecat and the French Canadian enfant du diable, or child of the devil.. Regularly occurring. [18] In the winter and spring months, the striped skunk will supplement its diet with vertebrates such as white-footed mice, voles, eggs and the chicks of ground nesting birds. Skunks are the primary hosts in the north- and south-central United States as well as in Canada. Striped skunks are omnivorous, opportunistic feeders. A study released in 2013 included a video of a Western spotted skunk handstanding and facing off with a mountain lion over a deer carcass. Striped skunks will dig these dens if necessary, but also may occupy one vacated by a groundhog or other animal. After 60 days gestation, she bears 2 to 10 young (usually 5 to 7). 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. Preferred foods are insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles; also eats bees, wasps, mice, lizards, snakes, crayfish, bird eggs, and mushrooms. Appearance: Short, stocky build. This striped skunk caught a vole. The blind newborns are furless, but have the black and white color pattern on their skin. Perhaps the value of skunk musk to the perfume industry, combined with the commercial use of their pelts, caused early legislators to give skunks special consideration. Skunk fur is an important asset to the fur industry, with pelts with a greater percentage of black grading higher. They have short legs and wide rear ends. Rabies outbreaks have affected populations in Illinois. Formerly a member of the weasel family (with mink, otter, fisher, marten), skunks have now been classified into their own family, "Mephitidae". Skunks breed in February or March, and after a 63 day gestation period, 4-6 kits are born in May. Because skunks are difficult to kill without having them discharge their musk (and thus ruin their fur) they were typically dispatched with a paralyzing blow to the lower back or drowned if caught in a box trap. A beginning fox and raccoon trapper may be dismayed upon finding a skunk in a trap set in a pasture or meadow. Trapping may help minimize the impacts of disease on a skunk population. In the photo above, a striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is on left and a spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) is on right. This bustling skunk habitat spans as far west as Emerald Ranch before dispersing toward the state borders. They prefer underground dens in colder winter climates. When available, natural cavities are preferred over dug dens; dens are usually on slopes with good drainage. Three other skunk species live in the United States: hooded and hognose skunks, which inhabit the Southwest, and the spotted skunk, which is found throughout much of the country. For the Muscogee people, the skunk represented family loyalty and defense of loved ones. The bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, urban edge, forest edges and swampland environments. Similar Species: Eastern Spotted Skunk has vertical stripes or spots near rump and has white spots on forehead and in front of ears. The second, still originating in the Texas-Mexico region, expanded westwards to the Rocky Mountains during the Illinoian glacial period. [11], The striped skunk is easily tamed and was often kept in barns to kill rats and mice during the 19th century. Total length: 20 to 28 inches. They have a small, white stripe on their forehead which splits and expands down the sides of its back. The spotted skunk is able to use its strong feet and claws to climb trees. Confident. Striped skunks are natives of North America and occur from northern Mexico to southern Canada. They have been observed living in wooded areas, deserts and plains, and have even adapted to urban and suburban environments. Striped skunks were a staple of the fur trade into the 1950s, but low pelt . The Striped skunk has narrow white stripes located at the center of its face, which differ in length and width across individuals. [20], The fat was once reputed to make an excellent lubricant. The central chamber is lined with dry grass and leaves. Other summer foods include spiders, toads, frogs, lizards, snakes, mice, chipmunks and the eggs of turtles and ground-nesting birds. This oily musk, which is expelled through the anus, may cause temporary blindness or pain if sprayed in the potential attackers eyes. And, contrary to popular opinion, it can discharge when hoisted by the tail. They are easily identifiable by the white stripe running from head to tail and each individual has a unique pattern of stripes. Where To Find They may be active even during cold weather, especially during the breeding season. Striped skunks have an IUCN rank of Least Concern, IUCN information. Wanders onto beaches at low tide eating stranded animals. Frequently they leave evidence of their feeding: small, cone-shaped holes in the soil, pine needles, leaf duff or suburban lawns mark where they have dug for grubs. Hunting and trapping are regulated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, regulations here. The most common skunks in North America, striped skunks are terrestrial animals that can survive in a variety of habitats and land types. Striped skunk is ideally suited for this purpose because the white hairs of the pelt become a uniform, glossy black when dyed. After spraying, the striped skunk will take the opportunity to run away from the intruder, which will be more interested in dealing with the spray than with the skunk. Although these animals are usually silent, they can make a wide range of sounds, including hissing, screeching, churring, growling, twittering, and cooing sounds during social interactions or when alarmed. Although it will forage for short periods in winter, it primarily depends on its fat reserves in cold weather, and can lose as much as 50% of its body weight. They move at a deliberate walk, slow trot or clumsy gallop. Skunks dig out bumblebee nests and scratch at the entrances of beehives, catching and eating any honeybees that fly out. The striped skunk occurs throughout most lowland areas in Washington, preferring open fields, pastures, and croplands near brushy fencerows, rock outcroppings, and brushy draws. Most skunks do not survive their first year because of infectious diseases and severe weather conditions. [2], Striped skunks are known to use their sharp claws to tear apart rotting logs to find grubs, dig in the soil for insects, and pin down prey. Striped skunks make a living throughout North America, from southern Canada into northern Mexico. Females give birth in May, often in woodchuck burrows, to an average litter of six. Wade-Smith, J. Skunk spray can travel up to 10 feet (though odor can be detected further away), and when striped skunks and hooded skunks take aim, they are amazingly accurate. Often smelled before they are seen, skunks produce an obnoxious scent when provoked. Prior to spraying, skunks usually warn intruders by stamping their feet and holding the tail high in the air. Without doubt, the most widely recognized characteristic of the Striped skunk is the pungent odor of the musk that it produces. Body weight ranged from 4.0 lb to 8.8 lb (1.8-4.0 kg) in Wisconsin. At 2-4 weeks, kits can assume a defensive stance and discharge fluid from their scent glands. Members are our strongest champions of animal conservation and wildlife research. With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States. Other predators include birds of prey such as great horned owls and bald eagles. [10], The striped skunk is polygamous, and normally breeds once a year, though yearling females who have failed to mate may enter a second estrous cycle a month after the first. A skunk is colored black and white. In general, adults range more widely than juveniles, males more widely than females. Gestation takes approximately two months, so that by May a female is caring for an average litter of five or six young. 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. Spotted skunks will also use barns and out buildings for cover. Barton, H. D., and S. M. Wisely. [10] Brown or cream-colored mutations occasionally occur. Skunks forage at night or at dawn for a variety of foods including berries, grasses, nuts, and other vegetable material, as well as worms, insects, grubs and the nestlings of birds, mice and cottontail rabbits. Eastern spotted skunk The bottoms of their feet are hairless, like those of bears or raccoons. This association likely resulted in the striped skunk's subsequent unfavorable reputation as a poultry thief, despite it being a much less destructive animal than the true polecat. Skunks are vulnerable to a variety of internal and external parasites. Some farmers welcome their presence, realizing that these small predators eat many pest insects and rodents. The first emerged from the Texas-Mexico region during the Rancholabrean before the Illinoian glaciation and colonized the southeastern United States. They den in ground burrows, stumps, wood and rock piles, overhanging creek banks and beneath buildings. Skunks discharge their scent, or musk, through these nozzles, powering the stream with a strong hip muscle contraction. [11] Alternative English names for the striped skunk include common skunk,[12] Hudsonian skunk, northern skunk, black-tailed skunk and prairie polecat. 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. Sexes are colored and marked alike. Young are born blind, with eyes opening between 2-4 weeks of age. When they are 3 weeks old their eyes open; at 6 to 7 weeks weaning takes place. 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. Mephitis memphitis has proven highly adaptable. 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. The females will retreat to the den to give birth. 2012. Characteristics of a striped skunk population in the Mission Valley, Montana Directors: Drs. The Latin name for skunk, Mephitis mephitis, means "double foul odor.". Skunks can live in an area for years and, because of their nocturnal habits, remain unseen, although perhaps not unsmelled, by most people. 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. The width of this stripe and the amount of white on the tail may vary from one skunk to another. [10], The color patterns of the fur vary greatly, but generally consist of a black base with a white stripe extending from the head which divides along the shoulders, continuing along the flanks to the rump and tail. Widespread, it is found in suitable habitat from sea level to timberline in all 48 contiguous states, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. And, like these two other mammals, skunks walk in a plantigrade manneron the soles of their feet with heels touching the ground. Although they may cover several miles each night while hunting, established individuals rarely wander more than a half-mile from their home burrows. Choose recycling over trash when possible. They also prey on woodchucks and other young animals in burrows. Large, bushy black and white tail. 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. In colder weather, they may eat voles, young birds, or bird eggs. Special Requests to Use State Game Lands Information, Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP), HUNTING:July. These glands have nozzle-like ducts, which protrude through the anus. The common striped skunk is found from central Canada southward throughout the United States to northern Mexico. Eastern spotted skunk on the Appalachian Trail. Spotted skunks are fewer in number and smallerabout squirrel sizedbut they're almost as widespread as striped skunks in the United States. Spotted skunks are more carnivorous than striped skunks, primarily feeding on small mammals, insects, eggs, and even carrion. The fur is black, usually with a white stripe running down the head and dividing to become two stripes on each side of the body. Like all skunks, they possess highly developed musk-filled scent glands to ward off predators. Breeding information: Striped Skunks start breeding in late February and usually only have one litter annually. (females slightly smaller). Male body weight ranged from 5.5 lb to 9.9 lb (2.5-4.5 kg) in Minnesota and female body weight ranged from 4 to 9 lb (1.8-4.1 kg) in Minnesota. The Great Horned Owl is the chief predator of skunks; the skunk's odor does not seem to deter them. Striped skunks at the Smithsonian's National Zoo consume a diet consisting primarily of leafy greens, vegetables and insects. It is also seenor its musky odor noticedin some suburban and urban locations, particularly near sources of open water. Spotted skunks were common around farms, and state harvest peaked at 19,400 in 1946, before populations plummeted. Their tail is bushy and long, with long white and black fur. Length: 14.0 - 22.0 inches Tail: 4.5 - 9.0 inches Ears: 1.0 - 1.1 inches Weight: 0.75 - 2.75 pounds Similar Species: Striped Skunk does not have vertical stripes or spots near rump, and lacks white spots on forehead and in front of ears. The striped skunk is one of the major carriers of the rabies virus, second only to raccoons in the US where skunks are 25% of annual cases. Their sense of touch, however, is acute. The striped skunk has a white stripe that starts at the top of its head, splits at the neck, and extends down each side of its body. The word skunk comes from the Algonquin Indian name for the animal, seganku. It is a stocky animal with short legs, a broad build and bushy tail. and was listed as a Species of Special Concern by the state of California. Their diet includes insects, fish, crustaceans, small mammals, fruits, nuts, grasses leaves, and carrion (dead animals). [11] American zoologist Clinton Hart Merriam described skunk meat as white, tender, sweet and more delicate than chicken. NRRI Duluth[emailprotected] Skunk musk is generally harmless. A skunks pelt is composed of soft, wavy underfur overlain with long, coarse guard hairs. Hunting and trapping are regulated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, regulations. This happens in early fall because skunks search for cubby holes to spend the winter. If that does not deter the intruder, the striped skunk will bend around while still facing the threat, stand on its front legs, and spray. They can swim, but are poor climbers. Skunks can be found throughout the Great Lakes region, with populations secure in all states and Ontario. 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