The species has triangular shaped heads that taper to the nose, small round ears and black eyes. The Winnebago people used the skunk to symbolize vanity, being beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside. Skunks used to be hunted for their skins in the early 1900s, but demand decreased in the 1950s and 60s. Skunks dig out bumblebee nests and scratch at the entrances of beehives, catching and eating any honeybees that fly out. Eyes open when they are about 3 weeks old. [2], While primarily an insectivore, the striped skunk is adaptable enough to incorporate other animals and even vegetable matter into its diet. Skunks do not hibernate, although they may remain dormant underground all winter. [4] The name "Alaska sable" was employed by furriers during the late 19th century. Female Striped Skunks give birth to six to eight babies once a year only during the month of May or June. To help assess population trends, we can look at regional furbearer harvest data, methods. Cases of rabies in this species are generally epizootic and recurrent. The long and sharp claws of a skunks forefeet are well-adapted to digging. Their senses of sight, smell and hearing have been judged poor to fair compared with those of other wild mammals. The striped skunk is abundant in New York and its populations are secure. Presence. 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. Confident. Striped skunks are typically found at elevations below 5,900 feet (1,800 meters). Habitat: This page was last edited on 23 September 2022, at 02:18. 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. Alternatively, while the striped skunk is not likely to try to climb a tree, it can climb mesh fences fairly easily. Its tail is black, fluffy, and long. Tool use, the manipulation of one object to change the state of another, is found in <1% of animal taxa and most often observed in captivity. The Spotted Skunk population also appears to have reached a plateau. Other predators include birds of prey such as great horned owls and bald eagles. Here, we report the observation of tentative tool use in a wild striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), captured by a trail camera in the front yard of a hobby naturalist who shared the photographs on social media. 3 of 8 Widespread, it is found in suitable habitat from sea level to timberline in all 48 contiguous states, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. They have a long, bushy tail made up of white and black hairs. At 2-4 weeks, kits can assume a defensive stance and discharge fluid from their scent glands. In some cases, a secondary breeding period will occur in May in the event that the first litter was lost, or pseudopregnacny occurs. Prior to spraying, skunks usually warn intruders by stamping their feet and holding the tail high in the air. . Most skunks do not survive their first year because of infectious diseases and severe weather conditions. Rosatte, R. & Lawson, S. (2003). Skunks have small heads, with small eyes and ears and a pointed nose. A skunk is colored black and white. You may have heard that pelts of the striped skunk once were more valuable than they are in the current fur market. when the Island Spotted Skunk had a small population and was not well-studied, the skunk that time was designated as a species of concern. Striped skunks usually prefer areas that have large dead trees. [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. Threats to striped skunks include severe weather, naturally occurring predation and disease, exposure to chemicals and other human activities. Formerly a member of the weasel family (with mink, otter, fisher, marten), skunks have now been classified into their own family, "Mephitidae". Striped skunks are omnivores and eat both plants and meat. Skunk anal glands are responsible for the sulfur compounds that, when sprayed, form the pungent scent that is a skunks primary defense. [11] The latter name was originally used by English settlers, who noted the animal's similarity to the European polecat. The striped skunk is a black and white mammal about the size of a house cat. (Verts, 1967). Alabama Arkansas Colorado Florida Georgia Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska . [2], 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. They have a long history of association with humans, having been trapped and captively bred for their fur[4] and kept as pets. Males during this period will cover much ground in their search for females, sometimes covering 4km (2.5mi) per night. The period of gestation for the female Striped Skunks lies between 59-77 days. According to IUCN, the Striped skunk is common and widely distributed throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Year-round. What they eat depends on where they live and what is available. Size: 18-32 inches long; up to 8 lbs. [11], Like all skunks, the striped skunk possesses two highly developed scent glands, one on each side of the anus, containing about 15 milliliters of musk each,[13] which provides a chemical defense against predation. Surprisingly, a skunk seldom sprays when caught in a foothold or box trap. The striped skunk occurs throughout most lowland areas in Washington, preferring open fields, pastures, and croplands near brushy fencerows, rock outcroppings, and brushy draws. Two subsequent subclades were formed during the Sangamonian interglacial on either side of the Sierra Nevada. Photo by Smithsonian Wild. In addition to their namesake markings, these skunks, found in the eastern U.S., differ from striped skunks in that they lift themselves into an impressive handstand position before they spray. The advantage that these birds have over their terrestrial counterparts is that, because they have no sense of smell, they are unaffected by the striped skunks last means of defense: its spray. (females slightly smaller). Skunks can spray up to 15 feet, but the smell can carry up to a mile. [4] Skunks are notable for being easy to trap, even approaching traps they had been previously caught in. Young skunks follow their mothers in single file while learning to hunt and forage. An interesting side note is that house cats tolerate the presence of skunks. They eat pests including potato bugs, tobacco worms and Japanese beetles. Some female yearlings will stay with their mothers into the coming winter. Skunk pelt prices may have doubled from about 1939 through the early 1940s, but they were never as valuable as red fox. The type locality is in eastern Canada. The white markings are usually very broad. Using fertilizers sparingly, keeping storm drains free of litter and picking up after your pet can also improve watershed health. Mammalian predators typically avoid skunks, unless they are starving. Its fur is intrinsically valuable, being durable and having rich luster, though this trait decreases with wear and exposure to sunlight. 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. As the Maryland winter approaches, striped skunks begin looking for a den to spend the winter. [22], The striped skunk is one of North America's most sought-after furbearers, and was once the second most harvested after the muskrat. [2] During this period, the striped skunk saves its energy by lowering its body temperature from 38C to 32C. Residential areas that have both lawns and large, mast producing shade trees often provide optimal habitat for skunks. Most striped skunks do not survive their first year, succumbing to the weather or disease. Skunks have poor eyesight and mostly hunt by nose and hearing, so it can be easy to startle one. For this reason, it is not wise to feed a house cat outside your home after dark. Size : Total length: 20-30 inches; tail length: 7-15 inches; weight: 2-11 pounds. It typically has a broad patch on the back of its head, and a V-shaped mark over its shoulders, which forms stripes that continue along the animals back and often unite at the base of its tail. Throughout the winter, they have been observed eating small mammals and ground-nesting hatchlings and eggs, and hunting amphibians, reptiles and fish. The average lifespan of striped skunks in the wild is 7 years. Striped Skunk on The IUCN Red List site -. One of the most notable characteristics of this animal is its defense system; striped skunks have the ability to spray a foul smelling fluid from two glands located near the base of the tail. Cases of rabies in this species are generally epizootic and recurrent. They can run as fast as 16km/h (10mph). Their body temperature remains near normal. The Striped skunk is similar in size to a normal house cat with a stout body, short legs, small head and a bushy tail. Measurements from Minnesota are from Hazard (1982), from Wisconsin are from Jackson (1961), and from the Eastern United States are from Hamilton and Whitaker (1998). From the late 1990s until present, North Dakota dominates regional harvest. Damaged building foundations and spaces underneath porches serve this purpose well. Winter home ranges tend to be smaller than summer home ranges since skunks typically stay close to their dens. Striped skunks will dig these dens if necessary, but also may occupy one vacated by a groundhog or other animal. 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). In G. Feldhamer, B. Thompson, & J. Chapman (Eds., 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T41635A45211301.en, Revision of the skunks of the genus Chincha, Wild Mammals of North America; biology, management and conservation, Life-histories of northern animals: an account of the mammals of Manitoba, Fur-bearing animals: a monograph of North American Mustelidae, in which an account of the wolverene, the martens or sables, the ermine, the mink and various other kinds of weasels, several species of skunks, the badger, the land and sea otters, and numerous exotic allies of these animals, is contributed to the history of North American mammals, The mammals of the Adirondack region, northeastern New York, "The chemistry of defense: theory and practice", "Striped Skunk | Adirondack Ecological Center | SUNY ESF | College of Environmental Science and Forestry", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Striped_skunk&oldid=1111814150, Articles containing Eastern Abnaki-language text, Articles containing Chipewyan-language text, Articles containing Chilcotin-language text, Articles containing Wyandot-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 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. 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. The eyes are small and the ears are short. (females slightly smaller) Lifespan: Up to 7 years in the wild. It is found all across the state. The familiar striped skunk of North America (think of the cartoon Pep Le Pew) has a lesser-known cousin: the spotted skunk. Now more than ever, we need your support. Striped skunks are omnivorous. Pioneers found the striped skunk ( Mephitis mephitis) when they came to Ohio, although skunk numbers are far greater now. Picture a skunk. This oily musk, expelled through the anus, can cause temporary blindness and pain if sprayed in the eyes of a potential attacker. [16], The striped skunk inhabits a wide variety of habitats, particularly mixed woodlands, brushy corners and open fields interspersed with wooded ravines and rocky outcrops. Female striped skunks typically give birth once each year, with breeding occurring between February and April. After mating, the female no longer associates with the male and becomes aggressive towards him through vocalizing, stamping her feet and sometimes fighting. Their top speed is about 10 miles per hour. Ball and K. R. Foresman This study was initiated in 1988 as a striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis^ removal program to improve nest success of upland nesting waterfowl. 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. Maryland Biodiversity Project. [4] Emphasis was placed on selectively breeding the tamest and darkest colored skunks. In spring, summer and early fall, a skunk may den in several different burrows; in winter, it tends to use just one. Hunting and trapping are regulated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, regulations. Striped skunks have an IUCN rank of Least Concern, IUCN information. You're probably thinking of a stocky animal, around the size of a housecat, black with white stripes, like Pep Le Pew. More mature skunks will fall prey to foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and badgers. Striped Skunks reach the lowest torpid body temperature of all carnivores, dropping from 98.6F to 78.8F (37C to 26C). Skunks are the primary hosts in the north- and south-central United States as well as in Canada. For reference, spotted skunks typically weigh less than 2 . [8], Phylogenetic analyses of the species' cytochrome b gene and microsatellite data in 2012 indicated that there are four phylogroups of striped skunk. Total length averaged 23.1 (586 mm), ranging from 17.6 to 25 (447-635 mm) in the Eastern United States, and ranged from 21.3 to 29.5 (540-750 mm) in Wisconsin. As members of the weasel family Mustelidae, they share the characteristics of a musky odor and well-developed scent glands. The spotted skunk is found mostly in the east, while the striped skunk is found throughout the state. They prefer open areas with a variety of habitats and inhabit particularly mixed woodlands, brushy corners, and open fields interspersed with wooded ravines and rocky outcrops. Eastern Canada; Nova Scotia, Quebec, and northern Ontario. 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. Sulfur compounds that, when sprayed, form the pungent scent that is a skunks primary.... 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