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. Skunks. Printable Striped Skunk Wildlife Note (PDF). [4] Emphasis was placed on selectively breeding the tamest and darkest colored skunks. The striped skunk (or Mephitis mephitis) is a small mammal found throughout North America, including southern Canada, the US and northern Mexico. A Striped Skunk in Queen Annes County, Maryland, 2020. 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. The spotted skunk is able to use its strong feet and claws to climb trees. 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. (The seventh spotted skunk species, Spilogale yucatanensis, is a bit of a weirdo, being native to Mexico's Yucatn Peninsula but sharing the closest evolutionary relationship with S. putorius,. They can swim, but are poor climbers. They are slightly larger and their scent is not as strong as the Eastern Spotted Skunk's. 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. Spotted skunks have a more complicated pattern of spots and broken lines, while striped skunks have two white stripes running from head to tail. Skunks are a significant asset in controlling the populations of crop-destroying rodents and insects. Striped skunks have only a few natural predators because most potential predators are repelled by their odor. 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. According to IUCN, the Striped skunk is common and widely distributed throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. The Striped skunk can be recognized easily by its pattern and colors. Mephitis memphitis has proven highly adaptable. Status in Tennessee: Striped Skunks may be abundant in certain areas, so there are no conservation concerns. The period of gestation for the female Striped Skunks lies between 59-77 days. The breeding season is from February to April, and females typically give birth once a year. At 2-4 weeks, kits can assume a defensive stance and discharge fluid from their scent glands. In summer, they feed heavily on insects (adult and larval form) including grasshoppers, crickets, beetles and wasps. Of the 3 skunks that underwent necropsy on 3 dpi, 2 had infectious virus in the turbinates but not in other tissues tested. Weight: six to 14 pounds. The great horned owl, which lacks a well-developed sense of smell and apparently is not bothered by the skunks musk, is a predator. The Latin name for skunk, Mephitis mephitis, means "double foul odor.". Mammalian predators typically avoid skunks, unless they are starving. Scientific Name: Mephitis mephitis. Now more than ever, we need your support. Presence. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Young striped skunks reach sexual maturity at about 10 months. Although they may cover several miles each night while hunting, established individuals rarely wander more than a half-mile from their home burrows. [13] The meat was prized by Chinese immigrants, who also bought skunk gall bladders for medicinal purposes. The remedy is to close or screen all holes and crawl spaces, and to keep dogs confined. Skunks are the primary hosts in the north- and south-central United States as well as in Canada. What they eat depends on where they live and what is available. A muscle-encapsulated gland positioned under the tail produces a liquid that can be expelled. Large, bushy black and white tail. Like all skunks, they possess highly developed musk-filled scent glands to ward off predators. In spring, summer and early fall, a skunk may den in several different burrows; in winter, it tends to use just one. 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. But the omnivorous striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)New England's only native This page is available in other languages. Striped skunks can experience delayed implantation lasting up to 19 days. Skunks often leave holes in the ground where they forage for insects or tear apart ground nests of small animals. The striped skunk is an interesting component of New York's wildlife assortment. Skunks are susceptible to several diseases including canine distemper and most notably, rabies. They can weigh from 6 to 14 pounds. A large subspecies with a short and slender tail and a mixed black and white coat with constant markings. [4] Skunks are notable for being easy to trap, even approaching traps they had been previously caught in. This oily musk, expelled through the anus, can cause temporary blindness and pain if sprayed in the eyes of a potential attacker. Dens are usually short and shallow, a few yards long, and a yard underground. 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. Litters of 2-16 (usually 4-6) young are born in May or June. Striped skunks are the biggest of the skunk species. Using fertilizers sparingly, keeping storm drains free of litter and picking up after your pet can also improve watershed health. Until the early 1990s, Minnesota dominated regional harvest. SmithsoniansNationalZoo& ConservationBiologyInstitute The central chamber is lined with dry grass and leaves. Gestation takes approximately two months, so that by May a female is caring for an average litter of five or six young. 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 have poor eyesight and mostly hunt by nose and hearing, so it can be easy to startle one. They are easily identifiable by the white stripe running from head to tail and each individual has a unique pattern of stripes. 2012. Please enable scripts and reload this page. One Gayley Avenue They develop quickly. Striped skunks may be . The striped skunk is a mostly nocturnal omnivore. Confident. The Striped skunk seems aware of how horrible its own odor is and will not spray in its own dens or in confined spaces. [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. Photo by Mike Ostrowski, Maryland Biodiversity Project. In general, adults range more widely than juveniles, males more widely than females. Skunks make a variety of sounds, including hisses, growls, squeals, soft coos and churrings. Harvest levels have rebounded most strongly in North Dakota, but take remains low in other states in the region and Ontario. Shores of Puget Sound and coastal region of Washington and northern Oregon. Stripes vary in length and width among individuals. However, these animals may still be harvested in most parts of Canada and the United States. 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 . Once they are weaned, the young skunks will follow their mother in a single file line and learn to forage and hunt. 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 . . 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. Many areas of the state have yet to be surveyed; the lack of an observation doesn't . A free roaming dog often aggravates the situation by chasing the prowling skunk. Striped skunks are found in a variety of habitats from southern Canada throughout the United States into northern Mexico. The striped skunk They will remain in the den for up to seven weeks; after this, they will venture out with their mothers and stay with them through the summer before seeking new territory come fall. 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. When you become a member, you also receive exclusive benefits, like special opportunities to meet animals, discounts at Zoo stores and more. Surprisingly, a skunk seldom sprays when caught in a foothold or box trap. [2], While primarily an insectivore, the striped skunk is adaptable enough to incorporate other animals and even vegetable matter into its diet. A threatened striped skunk will try to run away from a perceived predator. The blind newborns are furless, but have the black and white color pattern on their skin. The first emerged from the Texas-Mexico region during the Rancholabrean before the Illinoian glaciation and colonized the southeastern United States. If cornered, the striped skunk will turn and confront its opponent, arching its back and displaying its long and bushy tail to make itself appear larger, followed by stamping its feet. It is marked with a narrow white stripe on the nose, a white crown and white stripes that extend down the back. They eat pests including potato bugs, tobacco worms and Japanese beetles. Quick Facts Species Type Native Size Around 8 pounds Habitat Forests, grasslands, meadows and suburban areas Range 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. Cornfields are good feeding areas, where skunks forage for grasshoppers, grubs and beetles. Picture a skunk. However, recent surveys now . For the Muscogee people, the skunk represented family loyalty and defense of loved ones. As one of the most recognizable mammals anywhere, striped skunks are known for their black fur and characteristic white stripes on their head and down their back. Skunks readily adapt to urban, suburban, and agricultural land use. 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. Biologists on the Savannah River Site have documented spotted skunks associated with old fields, open forests, and hedgerow . 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. Regularly occurring. During the breeding season, males may travel as far as 8 km (4.9 mi) at night. [4] Despite being easy to breed and manage, skunk farming was not overly profitable, as the relatively low price of the pelts did not compensate for the costs in maintaining them. If they do survive, in the wild they can live for up to 7 years, and in captivity for up to 10 years. . Reduce, reuse and recycle in that order! A Striped Skunk in Wicomico County, Maryland, 2011. Residential areas that have both lawns and large, mast producing shade trees often provide optimal habitat for skunks. Found north of Mexico, it is one of the best-known mammals in Canada and the United States. Body weight ranged from 4.0 lb to 8.8 lb (1.8-4.0 kg) in Wisconsin. Without doubt, the most widely recognized characteristic of the Striped skunk is the pungent odor of the musk that it produces. Spotted skunks are fewer in number and smallerabout squirrel sizedbut they're almost as widespread as striped skunks in the United States. Population Trends To help assess population trends, we can look at regional furbearer harvest data, methods . Immune to snake venom, these animals will eat poisonous snakes such as rattlesnakes. It also suggested that the decline in Plains Spotted Skunk harvest was due to decline in fur prices (Reports from 1951). Winter home ranges tend to be smaller than summer home ranges since skunks typically stay close to their dens. Skunks have small heads, with small eyes and ears and a pointed nose. Their practice of digging leaves small-but-noticeable pits in the ground, which can provide evidence of their presence in an area. Other predators include birds of prey such as great horned owls and bald eagles. The Striped Skunk is found in lowlands throughout Washington, preferring relatively open country such as logged lands, old fields, open woods, brushy grassland, forest edges, riparian corridors, and agricultural areas. Its fur is intrinsically valuable, being durable and having rich luster, though this trait decreases with wear and exposure to sunlight. Skunk anal glands are responsible for the sulfur compounds that, when sprayed, form the pungent scent that is a skunks primary defense. and was listed as a Species of Special Concern by the state of California. Spotted skunks were common around farms, and state harvest peaked at 19,400 in 1946, before populations plummeted. Pioneers found the striped skunk ( Mephitis mephitis) when they came to Ohio, although skunk numbers are far greater now. 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. Two subsequent subclades were formed during the Sangamonian interglacial on either side of the Sierra Nevada. Instantly recognizable, striped skunks are known for their signature coloration and for their ability to emit a strong and pungent odor when upset. Striped Skunk. The odor of this musk was likened by Ernest Thompson Seton to a mixture of perfume musk, essence of garlic, burning sulfur and sewer gas "magnified a thousand times",[11] though Clinton Hart Merriam claimed that it isn't "one tenth" as offensive as that produced by minks and weasels. There is . Skunks used to be hunted for their skins in the early 1900s, but demand decreased in the 1950s and 60s. [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. Photo by Smithsonian Wild. Their diet will vary depending on whats available during each season. In the Eastern United States however, the spotted skunk extends north only to southwestern Pennsylvania. When it is colder, they prefer to remain in underground dens. For reference, spotted skunks typically weigh less than 2 . (Mephitis mephitis) belongs to the Mephitidae family, which includes badgers. Some populations, particularly in northwestern Illinois, prefer cultivated areas over uncultivated ones.[. 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. Some harvesting continues today. 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. Skunks can be found throughout the Great Lakes region, with populations secure in all states and Ontario. Mephitis memphitis has proven highly adaptable. 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. [2], Striped skunks are known to use their sharp claws to tear apart rotting logs to find grubs, dig in the soil for insects, and pin down prey. [13], The striped skunk is a stoutly-built, short-limbed animal with a small, conical head and a long, heavily furred tail. 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. Once the mating period has finished, the impregnated females confine themselves to their dens, while the males attempt to rebuild their fat reserves. To a chemist, the spray consists of of four carbon and hydrogen compounds called thiols. 3 of 8 Cipriani, D. (2011) "Skunks are affectionate, intelligent pets for owners who offer the proper care.". 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. The skunk excels at this potential and can discharge a foul-smelling fluid as a means of defense. 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). Spotted skunks are generally less tolerant of humans than the striped skunk (Henderson 1976). They have a long history of association with humans, having been trapped and captively bred for their fur[4] and kept as pets. Striped skunks make a living throughout North America, from southern Canada into northern Mexico. Preferred foods are insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles; also eats bees, wasps, mice, lizards, snakes, crayfish, bird eggs, and mushrooms. There is a high mortality rate among skunks; many do not survive beyond their first year. 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. Male total length ranged from 24.8 to 29.9 (630-760 mm) in Minnesota, and female total length ranged from 21.2 to 25.6 (540-650 mm) in Minnesota. [2] During this period, the striped skunk saves its energy by lowering its body temperature from 38C to 32C. Description. Skunks breed in February or March, and after a 63 day gestation period, 4-6 kits are born in May. Below, we have summarized the various classifications, monitoring, research, and contact information for each state alphabetically. (Verts, 1967). Skunks are about the size of house cats, and have distinctive black and white fur patterns. 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. 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. Total length: 20 to 28 inches. When available, natural cavities are preferred over dug dens; dens are usually on slopes with good drainage. Occurrence estimates were calculated from species-specific distribution models fit using expert-opinion data and generalized linear mixed modeling. Striped skunks are classified as unprotected species in Minnesota. Newborns are helpless and rely completely on their mother. Make a donation to the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute today! In colder weather, they may eat voles, young birds, or bird eggs. Like the more glamorous members of the weasel family, the skunk also has glossy and durable fur that can be dyed uniformly black for exquisite garment trimming. Barton, H. D., and S. M. Wisely. Kits are able to follow their mother on hunting trips at two months, and soon after disperse. The species has triangular shaped heads that taper to the nose, small round ears and black eyes. It is found all across the state. They travel widely in search of mates and breed with several females if possible. 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. They have a small, white stripe on their forehead which splits and expands down the sides of its back. The striped skunk can be a difficult neighbor because of its fearlessness and effective weaponry. However, roadside and lawn mowing, or any maintenance practice which prevents the development of a forest canopy, favors the continued existence of skunks. Maryland is home to two members of the skunk family. [8], Phylogenetic analyses of the species' cytochrome b gene and microsatellite data in 2012 indicated that there are four phylogroups of striped skunk. Habitat: They occur in a variety of habitats in both rural and urban areas, but tend to prefer forest borders, brushy field corners, fencerows, open grassy fields, rocky outcrops, and agricultural fields. The Striped skunk is similar in size to a normal house cat with a stout body, short legs, small head and a bushy tail. Striped skunks mate in February and early March. Gestation is for around 59 to 77 days, starting with delayed implantation that can be as long as 19 days. Come spring, striped skunk males will mate with several females during late February through early March. 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 spotted skunk is also called a civet cat, but this name is misleading and incorrect because this mammal is not closely related to the true civets of the Old World or to cats. This page was last edited on 23 September 2022, at 02:18. For this reason, it is not wise to feed a house cat outside your home after dark. You may have heard that pelts of the striped skunk once were more valuable than they are in the current fur market. They can live up to 10 years in human care. Great variation in color pattern and size of stripes. After 60 days gestation, she bears 2 to 10 young (usually 5 to 7). The type locality is in eastern Canada. Eyes open when they are about 3 weeks old. The Striped Skunk. The mating season usually occurs between mid-February to mid-April, though it is delayed at higher latitudes. They typically breed in the later winter or early spring, giving birth to a single litter of 1 - 6 young born in May or June. Young are born blind, with eyes opening between 2-4 weeks of age. Skunks are prey for raptors and larger mammal carnivores. Three other skunk species live in the United States: hooded and hognose skunks, which inhabit the Southwest, and the spotted skunk, which is found throughout much of the country. That describes North America's most common skunk, the striped skunk, but they also have smaller, spotted cousins. Proudly founded in 1681 as a place of tolerance and freedom. Striped skunks are classified as unprotected species in Minnesota. (females slightly smaller) Lifespan: Up to 7 years in the wild. [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. Striped skunks are natives of North America and occur from northern Mexico to southern Canada. 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