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| The Striped Skunk is boldly coloured, typically black with 2 broad white stripes on its back and a thin white stripe down center of its face. Its bushy black tail, often with white tip or fringe advertises to potential enemies that it is not to be bothered. The male Skunk is larger than the female. Their habitats range from woodlands to grassy plains areas to suburban areas (to the dismay of many residents!). They usually den in a burrow that has been abandoned by another animal or use a protected place, such as a hollow log, crevice, or the space beneath a building. They usually have a litter of four to seven young, born in mid-May. The Skunk is primarily nocturnal and does not hibernate, although during extremely cold weather it may become temporarily dormant. It has a high proportion of insects, berries and green vegetation in its diet, but also consumes small mammals, eggs of ground-nesting birds, and amphibians. The Skunk eats fruits in season, such as wild cherries, ground cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and many others. The Striped Skunk’s scientific name, mephitis, is a Latin word meaning bad odour. Its anal glands hold about a tablespoon of an evil smelling musk, enough for five or six jets of spray - although one is usually enough. Its famous defense mechanism of spraying potential predators with foul smelling musk is not unique to the Skunk. All weasels produce similar musk, although, to be sure, nowhere nearly as potent as the Skunk. They spray scent 3 to 5 metres. The mist may reach three times as far, and the smell may carry a mile. |
(Family Mustelidae)
Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
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