Photo by Smithsonian Wild. To a chemist, the spray consists of of four carbon and hydrogen compounds called thiols. Striped skunks mate in February and early March. Striped skunks are opportunistic omnivores, with a diet that varies with what is available. [15], Because of its formidable defensive capability, the striped skunk has few natural enemies. Eastern striped skunks are relatively common throughout the United States and can be found throughout Maryland. The novelty song "Dead Skunk" by Loudon Wainwright III was popular in the early 1970s. [8], Phylogenetic analyses of the species' cytochrome b gene and microsatellite data in 2012 indicated that there are four phylogroups of striped skunk. Large, bushy black and white tail. Their body temperature remains near normal. The species commonly found in Pennsylvania is the striped skunk. Tomato juice neutralizes the odor and will help remove the smell from clothes, hair, and dog fur. Their practice of digging leaves small-but-noticeable pits in the ground, which can provide evidence of their presence in an area. And now, this skunk group has a few more members. As members of the weasel family Mustelidae, they share the characteristics of a musky odor and well-developed scent glands. Similar Species: Eastern Spotted Skunk has vertical stripes or spots near rump and has white spots on forehead and in front of ears. 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. For the Muscogee people, the skunk represented family loyalty and defense of loved ones. Worldwide,Mephitis mephitisis restricted to North America. Residential areas that have both lawns and large, mast producing shade trees often provide optimal habitat for skunks. Southern Washington and northern Oregon, east of the Cascade Mountains. Length: 20.0 - 30.0 inches In a previous paper from the research team published in 2017, they described how the Rio Grande was historically considered a barrier that limited gene flow by keeping spotted skunk populations . It is a stocky animal with short legs, a broad build and bushy tail. Conservation Ranks. Although the eyesight of skunks is very poor, they have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. They are slightly larger and their scent is not as strong as the Eastern Spotted Skunk's. For day retreats (resting cover), they use hayfields, pastures, fencerows and brushy borders of waterways. Spotted skunks are fewer in number and smallerabout squirrel sizedbut they're almost as widespread as striped skunks in the United States. Although they may cover several miles each night while hunting, established individuals rarely wander more than a half-mile from their home burrows. Young striped skunks reach sexual maturity at about 10 months. [12] The forefeet are armed with five long, curved claws adapted for digging, while those on the hind feet are shorter and straighter. The the striped skunk in Tennessee is the most commone and it occurs state-wide. 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. Normally solitary, males and females get together for breeding in February and March. Some populations, particularly in northwestern Illinois, prefer cultivated areas over uncultivated ones. Skunks can spray up to 15 feet, but the smell can carry up to a mile. Skunks have small heads, with small eyes and ears and a pointed nose. A muscle-encapsulated gland positioned under the tail produces a liquid that can be expelled. That describes North America's most common skunk, the striped skunk, but they also have smaller, spotted cousins. [11], Skunk farming largely began during the late 1890s, when there was much foreign demand for their skins, and intensive trapping had largely extirpated the more valuable mostly black-colored specimens. 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. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Threats to striped skunks include severe weather, naturally occurring predation and disease, exposure to chemicals and other human activities. 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. Likewise for a homeowner or nuisance wildlife control agent who finds a skunk in the box trap set in the backyard. Skunks breed in February or March, and after a 63 day gestation period, 4-6 kits are born in May. It also suggested that the decline in Plains Spotted Skunk harvest was due to decline in fur prices (Reports from 1951). Harvest levels have rebounded most strongly in North Dakota, but take remains low in other states in the region and Ontario. Mostly nocturnal and does not hibernate. Skunks are placid and sluggish. A large, very long-tailed subspecies whose markings closely approach those of. This oily musk, expelled through the anus, can cause temporary blindness and pain if sprayed in the eyes of a potential attacker. However, recent surveys now . Size : Total length: 20-30 inches; tail length: 7-15 inches; weight: 2-11 pounds. They have a long history of association with humans, having been trapped and captively bred for their fur and kept as pets. Below, we have summarized the various classifications, monitoring, research, and contact information for each state alphabetically. The Striped skunk can be recognized easily by its pattern and colors. [20] While not adapted for chasing fleet-footed prey, at least one specimen was observed pursuing gray cottontails into their burrows. 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. Skunks dig out bumblebee nests and scratch at the entrances of beehives, catching and eating any honeybees that fly out. The eyes are small and the ears are short. This disagreeable musk is secreted by glands at the base of the tail and can be aimed and sprayed at will. Striped Skunks become sexually mature when they are approximately ten months old. Using fertilizers sparingly, keeping storm drains free of litter and picking up after your pet can also improve watershed health. Striped skunks have black fur with a wide, white stripe from the head all the way down the back on the body. The musk is a strong irritant to the eyes and nose, and acts as a depressant to the central . The striped skunk is one of the most recognizable of North America's animals, and is a popular figure in cartoons and children's books. In the photo above, a striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is on left and a spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) is on right. [18] In the winter and spring months, the striped skunk will supplement its diet with vertebrates such as white-footed mice, voles, eggs and the chicks of ground nesting birds. Hunting and trapping are regulated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, regulations. Striped skunks are found throughout Florida, except the Keys, and can be found in both natural and residential areas. Hooded and hog-nosed skunks occupy ranges from the U.S. Southwest to southernmost Argentina and Peru. Description: A medium-sized, stout-bodied mammal with a small head, short legs, and a prominent, bushy tail. Rosatte, R. & Lawson, S. (2003). Best places to see in Tennessee: Edges, corners, and fencerows of fields. Prior to copulating, the males' testicles swell during the JanuaryFebruary period, with maximum size being attained in March. These animals are also found in rock outcrops (Crabb 1948). Weight: six to 14 pounds. Like all skunks, they possess highly developed musk-filled scent glands to ward off predators. The mating season usually occurs between mid-February to mid-April, though it is delayed at higher latitudes. Written by Jason Dahl, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point student. "Mephitis mephitis" (PDF). Skunks are nocturnal solitary animals and forage and hunt in the evening. A Striped Skunk in Queen Annes County, Maryland, 2020. 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. Some female yearlings will stay with their mothers into the coming winter. Length: Body--25 to 30 inches, tail--8 to 11 inches. The population of both Striped and Spotted Skunks is very unstable and subject to violent fluctuations in any given area" (Reports from 1951:17). More mature skunks will fall prey to foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and badgers. They occasionally receive mice, eggs, nuts and select fruits as well. 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. Appearance: Short, stocky build. Length: 14.0 - 22.0 inches Tail: 4.5 - 9.0 inches Ears: 1.0 - 1.1 inches Weight: 0.75 - 2.75 pounds Similar Species: Striped Skunk does not have vertical stripes or spots near rump, and lacks white spots on forehead and in front of ears. Skunks are about the size of house cats, and have distinctive black and white fur patterns. [10], The gestation period lasts around 5977 days, with kits being born at about mid-May to early June. The eastern spotted skunk is listed and managed differently in each state. NRRI Duluth[emailprotected] Confident. Striped skunks at the Smithsonian's National Zoo consume a diet consisting primarily of leafy greens, vegetables and insects. (1982). They can live up to 10 years in human care. Eastern Canada; Nova Scotia, Quebec, and northern Ontario. Its scientific name, mephitis, in Latin means bad odor. Skunk spray can travel up to 10 feet (though odor can be detected further away), and when striped skunks and hooded skunks take aim, they are amazingly accurate. The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is an omnivorous mammal of the skunk family Mephitidae. Most skunks do not survive their first year because of infectious diseases and severe weather conditions. Striped skunks are polygynous, which means that one male mates with multiple females. Skunks have been the most commonly confirmed rabies species, other than raccoons, during the spread of raccoon rabies throughout Southern New York. [13] The meat was prized by Chinese immigrants, who also bought skunk gall bladders for medicinal purposes. In cultivated areas, striped skunks will dig their dens in fencerows, likely because they are less likely to be disturbed by machinery or livestock. The striped skunk can be a difficult neighbor because of its fearlessness and effective weaponry. Males fight with each other, although they rarely discharge musk during these conflicts. Striped skunks are typically found at elevations below 5,900 feet (1,800 meters). After mating, the female no longer associates with the male and becomes aggressive towards him through vocalizing, stamping her feet and sometimes fighting. Maryland is home to two members of the skunk family. Striped Skunk. A white triangle can be seen on their face starting at the forehead and pointing down like an arrowhead to their nose. A strong market for fur-trimmed cloth coats developed in the late 1930s as our country recovered from the Great Depression. Young, called kits or kittens, are born helpless, with eyes opening at about 3 weeks and weaning occurring at 6 to 7 weeks. This oily musk, which is expelled through the anus, may cause temporary blindness or pain if sprayed in the potential attackers eyes. (Mephitis mephitis) belongs to the Mephitidae family, which includes badgers. A threatened striped skunk will try to run away from a perceived predator. Striped skunks reach reproductive maturity when they are 10 months old. Their diet will vary depending on whats available during each season. 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. Choosing reusable options instead can help reduce plastic pollution. They have an average overall length of between 21 and 27 inches. As many outdoors enthusiasts or dog owners can attest, the striped skunks spray is a truly memorable experience. Male tail length ranged from 8.7 to 11.0 (220-280 mm) in Minnesota, and female tail length ranged from 7.9 to 10.4 (200-265 mm) in Minnesota. I studied habitat, site, and population parameters of striped skunks, based on . It has broad stripes that cover its body length, although the coloration may vary. Striped skunks will dig these dens if necessary, but also may occupy one vacated by a groundhog or other animal. [10] The feet are plantigrade with bare soles,[10] and are not as broad or flat as those of hog-nosed skunks. Mammalian predators typically avoid skunks, unless they are starving. Community dens have been found containing 12 or more skunks, mostly females and young. The striped skunk is a mostly nocturnal omnivore. The Striped skunk seems aware of how horrible its own odor is and will not spray in its own dens or in confined spaces. The Striped skunk is threatened by predation, disease, environmental conditions (such as a severe winter or a drought), chemicals, human activities, diseases like rabies and the associated control programs. Striped skunks were a staple of the fur trade into the 1950s, but low pelt . 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. They can weigh from around 2 lbs to over 10 lbs. Found up to about 2000 feet on the west side of the state. Skunks are vulnerable to a variety of internal and external parasites. Since 1996, spotted skunks have been classified as threatened in Minnesota, and any sightings should be reported to Minnesota DNR. Skunks are susceptible to distemper and rabies. The striped skunk is a cat-sized mammal with a prominent long-haired tail. This type of regulatory protection has been successful. Tail length averaged 8.7 (221 mm), ranging from 6.3 to 11.4 (159-290 mm) in the Eastern United States, and ranged from 7.9 to 11.0 (200-280 mm) in Wisconsin. [1], Striped skunks are polygamous omnivores with few natural predators, save for birds of prey. This skunk is considerably smaller than striped skunks on the mainland and has softer, glossier fur. Probably the largest subspecies, similar to. To help assess population trends, we can look at regional furbearer harvest data, methods. Throughout the winter, they have been observed eating small mammals and ground-nesting hatchlings and eggs, and hunting amphibians, reptiles and fish. This page is available in other languages. 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 ). [4] Skunks are notable for being easy to trap, even approaching traps they had been previously caught in. When you become a member, you also receive exclusive benefits, like special opportunities to meet animals, discounts at Zoo stores and more. The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is the most common skunk in Texas and North America. Photo by Lori Byrne, A female will sometimes breed for a second time in May, later in the spring, if she has lost her first litter, or she experienced a pseudopregnancy. Skunks are host to fleas, lice, mites, ticks and various internal parasites. The skunk will move backwards towards the aggressor while stamping its feet. Its fur is intrinsically valuable, being durable and having rich luster, though this trait decreases with wear and exposure to sunlight. Weight: Between 3 and 10 pounds. Color: Black with two white stripes on its back and tail. Presence. Preferred foods are insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles; also eats bees, wasps, mice, lizards, snakes, crayfish, bird eggs, and mushrooms. Eastern spotted skunk on the Appalachian Trail. Some farmers welcome their presence, realizing that these small predators eat many pest insects and rodents. Striped skunks have an IUCN rank of Least Concern, IUCN information. Special Requests to Use State Game Lands Information, Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP), HUNTING:July. It persists in much of its original range and populations are healthy. They have a small, white stripe on their forehead which splits and expands down the sides of its back. Skunks can live in an area for years and, because of their nocturnal habits, remain unseen, although perhaps not unsmelled, by most people. [19] Striped skunks inhabiting California's coastal areas will feed on crabs and beached fish. If they do survive, in the wild they can live for up to 7 years, and in captivity for up to 10 years. 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. [2] Like all skunks, they possess highly developed musk-filled scent glands to ward off predators. The period of gestation for the female Striped Skunks lies between 59-77 days. [10][11] The Cree and Ojibwe word shee-gawk is the root word for Chicago, which means 'skunk-land'. During the day, they nest in the abandoned dens that other animals have lived in, or in brush piles or hollowed logs, or underneath buildings. Female Striped Skunks give birth to six to eight babies once a year only during the month of May or June. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today remain stable. Striped skunks can experience delayed implantation lasting up to 19 days. This happens in early fall because skunks search for cubby holes to spend the winter. As the Maryland winter approaches, striped skunks begin looking for a den to spend the winter. Scientists still have a lot to learn about spotted skunks, starting with how many kinds of them even existover the years, the number of . Protection and promoting general public awareness of a species is a good way to secure its status. A medium-sized subspecies with a very long tail. Late-winter to early-spring is mating season. Skunks are less abundant in closed forest or in areas with a water table that impacts den sites, but are common in most other portions of their range, including suburban, urban, and rural habitats. Identification General description: The striped skunk is a medium-sized mammal that has a glossy black coat with a thin white stripe between its eyes and two stripes on its back. Males are typically slightlylarger than females. The eastern spotted skunk, also known as the civet cat, reaches its northernmost limit in the northcentral United States. High corn plants also protect young skunks from airborne and land predators without impeding their movements. 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. [2], While primarily an insectivore, the striped skunk is adaptable enough to incorporate other animals and even vegetable matter into its diet. Striped skunks weigh up to 8 pounds. During winter for extended periods, they are inactive but they do not truly hibernate. Within a few weeks, I have the skunk skull on my desk, a stack of articles on skunks, and a copy of The Biology of the Striped Skunk, by B. J. Vertsthe definitive textbook on the animal . Skunks can be found throughout the Great Lakes region, with populations secure in all states and Ontario. In some states, like Florida, skunks may be killed only during a season, but harvests year-round are allowed in most states. Tail: 7.0 - 15. SmithsoniansNationalZoo& ConservationBiologyInstitute Until the early 1990s, Minnesota dominated regional harvest. The bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, urban edge, forest edges and swampland environments. 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. About the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Two New Striped Skunks Make Debut At Small Mammal House, A Quack-filled Roll Call: Meet the Ducks of the Bird House, #CheetahCubdate 7: How to Enrich and Train Cheetahs, New at the Zoo: Meet Our Gray Seal, Jo-Jo. The skunk connection in these genres may be due to the term "funk" being a term for strong odor. A mated female drives off males shortly after her three-day estrus period ends. Surprisingly, a skunk seldom sprays when caught in a foothold or box trap. The most distinguishing characteristic is a skunk's ability to direct a stream or spray of musk as far as 10 feet from paired anal glands. 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, which had to be handled under heavy sedation, were sampled on days 1-3, 5, and 7, during which time 3 of the 6 infected animals shed virus orally, nasally, or both, and 1 animal shed < 7 dpi. 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. Cases of rabies in this species are generally epizootic and recurrent. Body weight ranged from 4.0 lb to 8.8 lb (1.8-4.0 kg) in Wisconsin. The striped skunk has been protected under the Environmental Conservation Law since the late 1800s. The gestation period lasts 62-66 days, but sometimes up to 75 days. They move at a deliberate walk, slow trot or clumsy gallop. Skunks are prey for raptors and larger mammal carnivores. Size: 18-32 inches long; up to 8 lbs. Now more than ever, we need your support. Occurrence estimates were calculated from species-specific distribution models fit using expert-opinion data and generalized linear mixed modeling. There is [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. [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. Male striped skunks breed with multiple females, and are rejected by the females after mating occurs. 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