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. Striped skunks usually prefer areas that have large dead trees. Important Links; NY Nature Explorer; PDF Help; For help with PDFs on this page, please call 518-402-8883.; Contact for this Page; Bureau of Wildlife 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233-4754 518-402-8883 Regularly occurring. Their conspicuous black and white coloration warns of their best defense, the strong-smelling musk they spray to ward off threats. It persists in much of its original range and populations are healthy. In colder weather, they may eat voles, young birds, or bird eggs. . Present. This species has been found in all parts of the state. The second, still originating in the Texas-Mexico region, expanded westwards to the Rocky Mountains during the Illinoian glacial period. A white triangle can be seen on their face starting at the forehead and pointing down like an arrowhead to their nose. Such predators include cougars, coyotes, bobcats, badgers, and red and gray foxes. Choosing reusable options instead can help reduce plastic pollution. Striped skunks at the Smithsonian's National Zoo consume a diet consisting primarily of leafy greens, vegetables and insects. Its numbers usually decline as abandoned fields and pastures become forested. 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. [1], Striped skunks are polygamous omnivores with few natural predators, save for birds of prey. Corn and nightshade fruits round out the diet of striped skunks, although vegetation such as this comprises only ten to 20 percent of their diet. (1982). During winter for extended periods, they are inactive but they do not truly hibernate. 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. New Hanover. As an opportunistic feeder, it will fill its diet with a variety of insects, small mammals, eggs, and occasional plants. This page was last edited on 23 September 2022, at 02:18. Normally solitary, males and females get together for breeding in February and March. Hunting and trapping are regulated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, regulations. Other summer foods include spiders, toads, frogs, lizards, snakes, mice, chipmunks and the eggs of turtles and ground-nesting birds. Its fur is intrinsically valuable, being durable and having rich luster, though this trait decreases with wear and exposure to sunlight. Great variation in color pattern and size of stripes. Stink badgers are preyed upon by civets, cats, and humans. It is found all across the state. Spotted skunks were common around farms, and state harvest peaked at 19,400 in 1946, before populations plummeted. Eyes open when they are about 3 weeks old. A mated female drives off males shortly after her three-day estrus period ends. The Striped skunk is similar in size to a normal house cat with a stout body, short legs, small head and a bushy tail. They have short legs and wide rear ends. This happens in early fall because skunks search for cubby holes to spend the winter. Spotted skunks are fewer in number and smallerabout squirrel sizedbut they're almost as widespread as striped skunks in the United States. Size: 18-32 inches long; up to 8 lbs. The tail is bushy and black and usually has a white tip. Striped skunks can be found throughout Pennsylvania, but the highest densities are associated with agricultural areas. Skunks are vulnerable to a variety of internal and external parasites. Other names include polecat and the French Canadian enfant du diable, or child of the devil.. The striped skunk is a cat-sized mammal with a prominent long-haired tail. Found up to about 2000 feet on the west side of the state. Skunks are solitary and typically nonaggressive, and they have not historically been a serious threat to homeowners, agricultural producers and other wildlife. Striped skunks have black fur with a wide, white stripe from the head all the way down the back on the body. It also suggested that the decline in Plains Spotted Skunk harvest was due to decline in fur prices (Reports from 1951). Some populations, particularly in northwestern Illinois, prefer cultivated areas over uncultivated ones.[. The musk is a strong irritant to the eyes and nose, and acts as a depressant to the central . Regionally, skunk harvest plummeted from peaks in the 1970s and 1980s. The regulations allow only a limited, open harvest season. The striped skunk occurs throughout most lowland areas in Washington, preferring open fields, pastures, and croplands near brushy fencerows, rock outcroppings, and brushy draws. Striped skunk sizes vary greatly depending upon time of year and geographic location,with weights fluctuating between 1.5 and 13 pounds (0.7 to 6.3 kg), and total length varying between18 and 32 inches (46.5 to 81.5 cm). With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States. Young striped skunks reach sexual maturity at about 10 months. Size Total length: 14-24 inches; tail length: 4-11 inches; weight: -2 pounds (males are heavier than females). Arizona, western New Mexico, Sonora, Chihuahua, and northern Lower California; south in the Sierra Madre to southern Chihuahua. Probably the largest subspecies, similar to. [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. Fruits, nuts, carrion, garbage, invertebrates, eggs, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles can all be taken, but insects usually represent the majority of their diet. This disagreeable musk is secreted by glands at the base of the tail and can be aimed and sprayed at will. 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. Found north of Mexico, it is one of the best-known mammals in Canada and the United States. Striped skunks are the biggest of the skunk species. Its active ingredient is a sulphide called mercaptan. They also prey on woodchucks and other young animals in burrows. The Great Horned Owl is the chief predator of skunks; the skunk's odor does not seem to deter them. They have been observed living in wooded areas, deserts and plains, and have even adapted to urban and suburban environments. PO Box 188 Mephitis macrourais the other New World species in the same genus, occurring primarily in Mexico and Central America;M. mephitisandM. macrouraranges overlap along a narrow strip of the U.S.-Mexico border in the southwest U.S., into northern Mexico. For the Muscogee people, the skunk represented family loyalty and defense of loved ones. 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. Prairie region of Illinois, western Indiana, and eastern Iowa. While the species plays an important role in insect control through its diet, the striped skunks reputation among humans is often based on its digging behavior, in search of food in lawns and gardens, and on its odoriferous interaction with curious dogs. 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. Keystone State. Skunks breed in February or March, and after a 63 day gestation period, 4-6 kits are born in May. Skunks are about the size of house cats, and have distinctive black and white fur patterns. Striped skunks are omnivorous. Skunks dig out bumblebee nests and scratch at the entrances of beehives, catching and eating any honeybees that fly out. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Cases of rabies in this species are generally epizootic and recurrent. Females usually lose 10 to 30 percent of their body weight by spring; males lose only about 10 percent, as they are more inclined to leave their dens and feed during mild spells. Striped Skunks become sexually mature when they are approximately ten months old. Striped skunks are common throughout their range. Fun Facts: It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on account of its wide range and ability to adapt to human-modified environments. 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. It has sharp claws on its front webbed feet that it will use to dig for grubs, worms, and reptiles or amphibians, and that can aid them climbing trees in search of food. Striped skunks reach reproductive maturity when they are 10 months old. Skunks can live in an area for years and, because of their nocturnal habits, remain unseen, although perhaps not unsmelled, by most people. Young are born blind, with eyes opening between 2-4 weeks of age. Striped skunks were a staple of the fur trade into the 1950s, but low pelt . They have a long, bushy tail made up of white and black hairs. They often live in the abandoned dens of other mammals during the day, or take up residence in hollowed logs, brush piles or underneath buildings. 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 ). Maryland Biodiversity Project. 2012. Skunks often leave holes in the ground where they forage for insects or tear apart ground nests of small animals. [20], The fat was once reputed to make an excellent lubricant. Two subsequent subclades were formed during the Sangamonian interglacial on either side of the Sierra Nevada. Skunks are the primary hosts in the north- and south-central United States as well as in Canada. [12] The forefeet are armed with five long, curved claws adapted for digging, while those on the hind feet are shorter and straighter. Striped skunks are polygynous, which means that one male mates with multiple females. [5], The striped skunk was regularly eaten by trappers and indigenous peoples, provided the animal was not too old or had not sprayed before being killed. Threats to striped skunks include severe weather, naturally occurring predation and disease, exposure to chemicals and other human activities. However, roadside and lawn mowing, or any maintenance practice which prevents the development of a forest canopy, favors the continued existence of skunks. The bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, urban edge, forest edges and swampland environments. They are nocturnal animals (active mostly after dark). Cornfields are good feeding areas, where skunks forage for grasshoppers, grubs and beetles. The animal's body is from 8 to 19 inches long with a tail that can be as long as 15 inches. Skunks are armed with a potent defensive weapon: a pair of large scent glands found beneath the skin on either side of the rectum. Confidence. 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. This oily musk, which is expelled through the anus, may cause temporary blindness or pain if sprayed in the potential attackers eyes. Eastern striped skunks are relatively common throughout the United States and can be found throughout Maryland. Skunks are placid and sluggish. 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. Skunks are susceptible to several diseases including canine distemper and most notably, rabies. Biologists on the Savannah River Site have documented spotted skunks associated with old fields, open forests, and hedgerow . 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. Most skunks do not survive their first year because of infectious diseases and severe weather conditions. 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. Additionally, most states permit skunk harvesting year-round. [11] Prior to the First World War, skunk pelts were primarily shipped to Europe until better methods of deodorizing and processing the skins lead to increased interest in selling them for North American consumption. A threatened striped skunk will try to run away from a perceived predator. According to IUCN, the Striped skunk is common and widely distributed throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Their diet will vary depending on whats available during each season. The Spotted Skunk population also appears to have reached a plateau. 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. Throughout the winter, they have been observed eating small mammals and ground-nesting hatchlings and eggs, and hunting amphibians, reptiles and fish. They are slightly larger and their scent is not as strong as the Eastern Spotted Skunk's. Skunk fur is an important asset to the fur industry, with pelts with a greater percentage of black grading higher. Striped Skunk Commonly referred to as polecats, striped skunk are about the size of domestic house cats, measuring 21-28 inches in total length and weighing from 3-11 pounds. Until the early 1990s, Minnesota dominated regional harvest. Skunk anal glands are responsible for the sulfur compounds that, when sprayed, form the pungent scent that is a skunks primary defense. The skunk excels at this potential and can discharge a foul-smelling fluid as a means of defense. An interesting side note is that house cats tolerate the presence of skunks. [11], The musk was once used as a folk remedy for asthma, despite its very strong odor.[12]. Prior to spraying, skunks usually warn intruders by stamping their feet and holding the tail high in the air. Sierra Madre to southern Chihuahua prefer areas that have large dead trees the mammals. About 2000 feet on the server depressant to the Rocky Mountains during the Sangamonian on... 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