Striped Skunk
Last Review/Updated: May 31, 2002
Mephitis mephitis
This is possibly the best known, and most respected, member of the weasel family. The protection afforded skunks by their ability to spray the contents of anal scent glands accurately up to 3 m (10 ft.) has resulted in a peaceful, non-aggressive life style. They are found in all life zones.
Although skunks are efficient "mousers," much of their diet consists of insects, eggs, frogs and young birds, making them beneficial to farmers and gardeners. Being nocturnal, they hunt at night and spend the day sleeping in any shelter they find at dawn. The great horned owl is perhaps their only significant enemy.
Skunks spend the winter in a den and mate after emerging in the spring. Six to eight young are born in May.
