Range

North America is the native home of the striped skunk. Here they can be found in Canada, Mexico and the United States. They can be found throughout most of the continental United States, in the south of Canada and the North of Mexico.

Habitat

Their wide ranging diet and large range mean they are adaptable to a wide variety of habitats. They may make their home in woods, deserts and plains.

They can live near humans including in agricultural areas where insects are in abundance. Populations of striped skunks also occur near residential areas where they can live under houses.

Reproduction

Striped skunks will breed from February to April. A female skunk will make a burrow or den under a fallen tree or a building in human inhabited areas.

In this den she gives birth to as many as 10 young known as pups or kits following a gestation period of 59 to 77 days. These kits are blind at birth and reliant on their mother. The eyes open by three weeks old. She is highly protective of them and will attack any predators which approach.

When the striped skunk kits are old enough mom will lead them around and they follow in a single file line.

Young can be independent as early as seven or eight weeks but others stay with their mother for up to a year.

Juvenile skunks can spray from as early as 8 days old.

They will reach sexual maturity by 1 year old.

Behavior

Striped skunks are primarily active at night. During the day they rest in a burrow, hollow log or brush pile.

During winter they may spend up to three months underground in their burrows. This is not a true hibernation but a period of extended inactivity.

These animals are solitary. They will only come together to mate.

Predators and Threats

One of the few natural predators of the striped skunk is the great horned owl. It is thought this is because the owl can swoop in before a skunk sprays them to that owls are not concerned due to a poor sense of smell. Bobcats have also been seen attacking striped skunks.

Other predators will not often attack skunks due to a fear of their famous defense mechanism. When threatened the striped skunk will raise its tail and stomp its feet as a warning. If this does not make the threat leave they will stand on their front legs and twist their body before spraying a noxious chemical towards would be predators.

Along with smelling bad this spray, known as musk, irritates the predators eyes.

Striped skunks have adapted well to the presence of humans and can live alongside them.

Skunks are hunted which in many US states is permitted by law and have also been effected by rabies outbreaks.

Quick facts

Striped skunks are the most common skunk species in North America.