Skunks often leave holes in the ground where they forage for insects or tear apart ground nests of small animals. One Gayley Avenue Spotted skunks were common around farms, and state harvest peaked at 19,400 in 1946, before populations plummeted. Striped skunks have an IUCN rank of Least Concern, IUCN information. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In winter it is common for a single den to be occupied by multiple females and a single male. They can weigh from around 2 lbs to over 10 lbs. They favor mixed woods and brushland, rolling weedy fields, fencerows, wooded ravines and rocky outcrops in or near agricultural areas. Predatory birds, including golden and bald eagles, and great horned owls tend to have greater success in hunting skunks, though they still risk being blinded by their prey's musk. Regularity. Cipriani, D. (2011) "Skunks are affectionate, intelligent pets for owners who offer the proper care.". Skunks forage at night or at dawn for a variety of foods including berries, grasses, nuts, and other vegetable material, as well as worms, insects, grubs and the nestlings of birds, mice and cottontail rabbits. They have a long, bushy tail made up of white and black hairs. [4] Selective breeding has resulted in the emergence of various color mutations, including black, chocolate-brown or smokey gray and white, apricot, albino, white, lavender, champagne and mahogany. [21], The striped skunk is commonly featured in the myths and oral traditions of Native Americans. Striped Skunks reach the lowest torpid body temperature of all carnivores, dropping from 98.6F to 78.8F (37C to 26C). Make a donation to the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute today! 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. The eastern spotted skunk, also known as the civet cat, reaches its northernmost limit in the northcentral United States. After three weeks, their scent glands become functional; at four weeks, their eyes open; and at about two months the young are weaned and ready to leave the den for nighttime hunting forays. That describes North America's most common skunk, the striped skunk, but they also have smaller, spotted cousins. Skunk fur is an important asset to the fur industry, with pelts with a greater percentage of black grading higher. [1], Striped skunks are polygamous omnivores with few natural predators, save for birds of prey. The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis ) is a skunk of the genus Mephitis that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. Skunks are solitary and typically nonaggressive, and they have not historically been a serious threat to homeowners, agricultural producers and other wildlife. Instantly recognizable, striped skunks are known for their signature coloration and for their ability to emit a strong and pungent odor when upset. Some stories try to explain its striped pattern or how it got its smell. The striped skunk is abundant in New York and its populations are secure. Where To Find [8], Phylogenetic analyses of the species' cytochrome b gene and microsatellite data in 2012 indicated that there are four phylogroups of striped skunk. Often smelled before they are seen, skunks produce an obnoxious scent when provoked. They are native to the United States and Canada. [3] It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on account of its wide range and ability to adapt to human-modified environments. Prior to copulating, the males' testicles swell during the JanuaryFebruary period, with maximum size being attained in March. Found up to about 2000 feet on the west side of the state. Average Size Striped skunks stand about 6 inches at the shoulder and weigh from 3 to 8 pounds, with males being 10 to 15 percent larger than females. The chemical makeup of skunk musk varies by species, but each version contains compounds called thiols that are responsible for the foul smell. Skunks are capable of breeding in their first year. Coleraine, MN 55722, Ermine (Short-tailed Weasel; Mustela erminea). (1982). The Striped skunk is similar in size to a normal house cat with a stout body, short legs, small head and a bushy tail. Skunks have poor eyesight and mostly hunt by nose and hearing, so it can be easy to startle one. Ears: 0.8 - 1.0 inches Now more than ever, we need your support. Skunks are the primary hosts in the north- and south-central United States as well as in Canada. A Striped Skunk in Wicomico County, Maryland, 2011. In colder weather, they may eat voles, young birds, or bird eggs. The striped skunk is an interesting component of New York's wildlife assortment. When threatened, it can spray its scent 10-15 feet; the smell can reach up to a mile away. Some populations, particularly in northwestern Illinois, prefer cultivated areas over uncultivated ones.[. Some farmers welcome their presence, realizing that these small predators eat many pest insects and rodents. However, these animals may still be harvested in most parts of Canada and the United States. Large, bushy black and white tail. Protection and promoting general public awareness of a species is a good way to secure its status. Skunks are also popular characters in children's stories, comics and cartoons, most notably the Warner Bros character Pep Le Pew and the Disney character Flower of the 1942 animated film Bambi, their musky odor making them a source of fear and ostracization. Striped skunks weigh up to 8 pounds. During the breeding season, males may travel as far as 8 km (4.9 mi) at night. 2012. When it is colder, they prefer to remain in underground dens. 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. Although these animals are usually silent, they can make a wide range of sounds, including hissing, screeching, churring, growling, twittering, and cooing sounds during social interactions or when alarmed. Additionally, most states permit skunk harvesting year-round. [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. [11] The skunk will also consume vegetable matter, such as apples, blueberries, black cherries, ground cherries, corn and nightshade when in season. Formerly a member of the weasel family (with mink, otter, fisher, marten), skunks have now been classified into their own family, "Mephitidae". A skunks smelly spray can reach up to ten feet, and be detected for up to 2.4 km (1.5 mi). Occurrence estimates were calculated from species-specific distribution models fit using expert-opinion data and generalized linear mixed modeling. Fruits, nuts, carrion, garbage, invertebrates, eggs, small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles can all be taken, but insects usually represent the majority of their diet. They are easily identifiable by the white stripe running from head to tail and each individual has a unique pattern of stripes. Their diet will vary depending on whats available during each season. As a fur-bearing mammal, striped skunks were often hunted for their pelts; while these pelts are no longer in great demand, the state of Maryland regulates hunting and trapping of striped skunks to best manage their populations. Their diet is primarily insectivorous during the spring and summer seasons when grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, bees and other arthropods are abundant, then switches to a carnivorous diet during colder months. They typically use underground dens which can be in grassy banks, rocky crevices, or along fencerows, although sometimes they use aboveground dens including barns, woodpiles, haystacks, or rock or brush piles. An interesting side note is that house cats tolerate the presence of skunks. With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States. 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. Great variation in color pattern and size of stripes. Striped Skunks become sexually mature when they are approximately ten months old. 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 This page was last edited on 23 September 2022, at 02:18. Its narrow face has a pointed snout, and small round ears. [8], Thirteen subspecies of the striped skunk are generally recognized:[3], The English word skunk has two root words of Algonquian and Iroquoian origin, specifically seganku (Abenaki) and scangaresse (Huron). For reference, spotted skunks typically weigh less than 2 . The most common skunks in North America, striped skunks are terrestrial animals that can survive in a variety of habitats and land types. Dogs, foxes, coyotes and bobcats take an occasional skunk, but the skunks potent musk warns off most predators. Many a farmer arrived to pour the dregs of the milk strainer into the cat dish and found that one of the cats had a broad tail and a characteristic white "V" across its back. There is While the mammals have adapted to a wide range of environments, they prefer habitat with a variety of woodlands and open fields, which means they can also be found in both rural and suburban settings. Males during this period will cover much ground in their search for females, sometimes covering 4km (2.5mi) per night. This bustling skunk habitat spans as far west as Emerald Ranch before dispersing toward the state borders. What they eat depends on where they live and what is available. There is a significant reduction in body mass during wintermonths, when striped skunks can lose up to 50 percent of their weight. Litters of 2-16 (usually 4-6) young are born in May or June. Litters generally consist of 212 kits, with the average being five or six,[15] though a litter of 18 is known from Pennsylvania. Eastern Canada; Nova Scotia, Quebec, and northern Ontario. Some harvesting continues today. 2. Spraying an offending creature typically occurs after a warning display, which involves the skunk stomping its feet and arching its back while raising its tail. Skunks live in a variety of habitats. And, like these two other mammals, skunks walk in a plantigrade manneron the soles of their feet with heels touching the ground. Along with the woodchuck, raccoon, Canada goose, mourning dove, several species of blackbirds and other wildlife, the skunk prospers wherever humans clear land for farming and remove or drive out larger predators. Go to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Duluth, MN 55811, NRRI Coleraine[emailprotected] They can live up to 10 years in human care. If that does not deter the intruder, the striped skunk will bend around while still facing the threat, stand on its front legs, and spray. Hunting and trapping are regulated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, regulations. To one early 20th century naturalist, it was a mixture of perfume musk, essense of garlic, burning sulfur and sewer gas magnified a thousand times. Striped skunks are found in a variety of habitats from southern Canada throughout the United States into northern Mexico. In general, adults range more widely than juveniles, males more widely than females. A skunk is colored black and white. They can run as fast as 16km/h (10mph). Worldwide,Mephitis mephitisis restricted to North America. Mephitis memphitis has proven highly adaptable. Description: A medium-sized, stout-bodied mammal with a small head, short legs, and a prominent, bushy tail. Probably the largest subspecies, similar to. Adult skunks are about two feet long, including a 7- to 10-inch tail. They are also host for the canine parvovirus and may also suffer from leptospirosis. Striped skunks are classified as unprotected species in Minnesota. Please enable scripts and reload this page. They are nocturnal animals (active mostly after dark). Other mortality factors are diseases such as pneumonia, distemper, pulmonary aspergillosis, tularemia, brucellosis and rabies; highway kills, starvation and trapping. The population of both Striped and Spotted Skunks is very unstable and subject to violent fluctuations in any given area" (Reports from 1951:17). Trapping may help minimize the impacts of disease on a skunk population. Surprisingly, a skunk seldom sprays when caught in a foothold or box trap. The bottoms of their feet are hairless, like those of bears or raccoons. Eyes open when they are about 3 weeks old. Litters number 2 to 10 kits. It is found all across the state. Pioneers found the striped skunk ( Mephitis mephitis) when they came to Ohio, although skunk numbers are far greater now. 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. (Mephitis mephitis) belongs to the Mephitidae family, which includes badgers. A very large subspecies with a heavily furred, medium-sized tail. Eastern striped skunks are relatively common throughout the United States and can be found throughout Maryland. [20], The fat was once reputed to make an excellent lubricant. One wildlife host that purportedly plays a role in the transmission of Chagas disease within the southern United States is the striped skunk . The novelty song "Dead Skunk" by Loudon Wainwright III was popular in the early 1970s. Male striped skunks breed with multiple females, and are rejected by the females after mating occurs. Without doubt, the most widely recognized characteristic of the Striped skunk is the pungent odor of the musk that it produces. This striped skunk caught a vole. Hunting and trapping are regulated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, regulations. [13] The meat was prized by Chinese immigrants, who also bought skunk gall bladders for medicinal purposes. More mature skunks will fall prey to foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and badgers. [7][2], The earliest fossil finds attributable to Mephitis were found in the Broadwater site in Nebraska, dating back to the early Pleistocene less than 1.8million years ago. . Their diet includes insects, fish, crustaceans, small mammals, fruits, nuts, grasses leaves, and carrion (dead animals). A strong market for fur-trimmed cloth coats developed in the late 1930s as our country recovered from the Great Depression. The striped skunk has a white stripe that starts at the top of its head, splits at the neck, and extends down each side of its body. They are found in every county of Ohio as well as throughout the United States. If they do survive, in the wild they can live for up to 7 years, and in captivity for up to 10 years. It is about the size of a house cat and has a potent musk that often overshadows the beauty of its glossy and durable fur. Skunks. To help assess population trends, we can look at regional furbearer harvest data, methods. This oily musk, which is expelled through the anus, may cause temporary blindness or pain if sprayed in the potential attackers eyes. Its active ingredient is a sulphide called mercaptan. This species has been found in all parts of the state. [10] Although their musk is still undeveloped, kits of this age will instinctively assume the defensive stand position when threatened. They eat pests including potato bugs, tobacco worms and Japanese beetles. Weight: Between 3 and 10 pounds. The skunk connection in these genres may be due to the term "funk" being a term for strong odor. Each year the New York State hunting and trapping regulation guides remind hunters and trappers that the striped skunk is a valuable furbearing resource. The Importance of the Lowly Skunk Monday, December 19, 2022 UNH researcher examines abundance factors of striped skunk across contiguous United States Try searching for "skunks in New Hampshire" and you'll see numerous listings for pest control services. Striped skunks at the Smithsonian's National Zoo consume a diet consisting primarily of leafy greens, vegetables and insects. These grades are further subdivided in value according to their locality, with the most valuable occurring in northern regions, where the fur is finer and darker. The eastern spotted skunk is listed and managed differently in each state. Weight: six to 14 pounds. Variations include striping patterns and coloration; some striped skunks may be cream-colored with no visible striping. They do not hibernate, and may forage for food occasionally during the season, but generally rely on their fat reserves to see them through the winter. Once they are weaned, the young skunks will follow their mother in a single file line and learn to forage and hunt. The tail is bushy and black and usually has a white tip. Length: 20.0 - 30.0 inches At birth, striped skunks weigh less than an ounce. Keystone State. Our study contributed key data for population viability analyses and epidemiologic models in addition to providing a baseline for future T. cruzi surveillance among skunks and other wildlife species. [10], The striped skunk is polygamous, and normally breeds once a year, though yearling females who have failed to mate may enter a second estrous cycle a month after the first. Striped Skunk on The IUCN Red List site -. NRRI Duluth[emailprotected] Spotted skunks will also use barns and out buildings for cover. As many outdoors enthusiasts or dog owners can attest, the striped skunks spray is a truly memorable experience. 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. Striped skunks have black fur with a wide, white stripe from the head all the way down the back on the body. [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. Common Name: Striped Skunk. Although the eyesight of skunks is very poor, they have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. The species has triangular shaped heads that taper to the nose, small round ears and black eyes. The common striped skunk is found from central Canada southward throughout the United States to northern Mexico. Cornfields are good feeding areas, where skunks forage for grasshoppers, grubs and beetles. They develop quickly. Young are born blind, with eyes opening between 2-4 weeks of age. After a gestation period of 59 to 77 days, a litter of two to ten skunks is born. They have a small, white stripe on their forehead which splits and expands down the sides of its back. Skunks are known to everyone by sight, smell, and reputation. Juvenile skunks are capable of spraying at 8 days old, around two weeks before their eyes open. A surfeit is the word for a group of skunks. Skunks are prey for raptors and larger mammal carnivores. Gestation takes approximately two months, so that by May a female is caring for an average litter of five or six young. Variations include striping patterns and coloration; some striped skunks may be cream-colored with no visible striping. 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