Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
Description The Striped Skunk is a medium-sized, robust-bodied skunk with a white stripe on either side of its back that extend up over the head and down the sides of its bushy tail.
Striped SkunkMephitis mephitis
Location and Habitat
Striped skunks can be found throughout North America, extending north to central Canada and south into northern Mexico.
Striped Skunk
STRIPED SKUNK
Photo Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ...
Striped Skunk
(Mephitis mephitis)
RANGE: Across Canada, south throughout the lower 48 states and into northern Mexico.
STATUS: Not protected ...
Striped Skunk
Relatives in same Genus
Hooded Skunk (M. macroura) ...
Striped Skunk
: Family Mustelidae : Mephitis mephitis (Schreber)
Description.
STRIPED SKUNK
The striped skunk is a night-time hunter, conspicuously colored to deter its enemies. Skunks live in small groups, often sharing a burrow with the species that dug it, perhaps a fox or a racoon.
Striped Skunks are most numerous in agricultural areas, where a population of 13.5 per square mile has been recorded.
The striped skunk is about the same size as a house cat. It has a small triangular head and little ears. Its legs are short with webbed toes and claws the striped skunk uses for digging and looking for food.
The Striped Skunk is found in (but not necessarily limited to) the United States of America. It has a simple stomach, as all Carnivora's do. Carnivora's in general are distributed world-wide.
The striped skunk is found throughout southern Canada, the United States and northern Mexico.
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Striped skunks usually do not discharge the foul smelling contents of their scent glands unless mortally threatened. When faced with danger they arch the back and erect the tail and hair.
Striped skunks are one of the most distinctive animals of North America. Faced with grave danger the skunk will turn around, raise its tail and squirt a fluid from two scent glands.
Striped skunks can be seen in most of the United States, and in the interior and southern portions of Canadian provinces.
Likes to Hang Out: ...
Striped skunks winter in burrows. In spring, females give birth to four to six naked, blind, and helpless young. Though the skin sports only a light fuzz, the white stripes can already be seen on the black skin.
Food ...
The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is considered by many folks and unfortunate farm dogs to be a disgusting beast and general pest of the wildlife community. This reputation is certainly undeserved.
Striped skunk Mephitis mephitis (Schreber)
Description: The striped skunk is probably the best known and most frequently encountered member of its family in Kansas. It can be distinguished by: 1) rather heavy body, 2) short legs, ...
Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
Skunks are the poison ivy of the animal world. Their spray is so strong it can temporarily blind you even if you are 10 feet away. If sprayed, do not bother washing your clothes -- just throw them away.
Striped skunks are easily recognized by their characteristic colors and pattern.
Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
The Striped Skunk
The skunk is about the size of a domestic cat, weighing between 1.5 to 5 kilograms on average. They can grow up to 45 cms in length, and their tail can be another 20 to 40 cms in length.
Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis (scientific)
Striped skunks live in woodlands, grassy plains, and the desert. Look for them throughout the continental United States. Due to the foul smell of its spray, not many animals eat striped skunks.
The Striped Skunk is the most common skunk in North America, yet most of what we know about it comes from studies of captive individuals.
The striped skunk has scent glands that can spray up to 15 feet. The smell can be detected as far as 1.5 miles away.
Ground burrows dug by common gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), woodchuck (Marmota monax), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), and American badger (Taxidea taxus) are also used, ...
The two common skunks of the United States, the striped skunk and the spotted skunk, are nocturnal animals; their diets include rodents, insects, eggs, carrion, and vegetable matter.
Superficially similar to the striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, but differs in having longer, softer fur and a distinct ruff of longer hair on the upper neck.
FEEDING HABITS: Food habits of the spotted skunk are similar to that of the striped skunk. Diets seem to vary with the seasons. During the summer months, insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles are eaten.
The musk glands of the Striped skunk, about the size of a grape, are surrounded by powerful sphincter muscles and when the animal is annoyed or frightened, ...
Predators of eggs and nestlings include Raccoons, Virginia Opossums, Striped Skunks, Gray foxes, raptors, Groundhogs, other rodents, spotted skunks, rat snakes, Gopher Snakes, and pinesnakes.
11 Skunks: There are 11 species of skunks, which are divided into four genera: Mephitis (hooded and striped skunks, two species), Spilogale (spotted skunks, two species), Mydaus (stink badgers, two species), and Conepatus (hog-nosed skunks, ...
A Foul Defense: Of course, skunks are most famous for their foul-smelling spray. If threatened, the striped skunk fluffs its fur, lifts its tail and arches its back as a warning.
The Common or striped skunk has black fur with two white stripes on the back. There length is around 2 ft. long including their bushy tail. Its ability to spray a offensive older protected against enemies.
Florida is home to both the Eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) and the Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). They occur throughout Florida except for the Keys.
They also eat smaller creatures like squirrels, muskrat, porcupine, beaver, raccoon, striped skunk, coyote, bobcats, other cougars, rabbits, opossums, birds, and even snails and fish.
CARNIVORA: Mephitidae (Skunks)
Common Name Scientific Name Distribution
Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis ...
Smelliest mammal - the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
The only venomous mammals - duckbilled platypus (males only), several species of shrews, and the Solenodon ...
 See also: Skunk, Coyote, Weasel, Raccoon, Badger
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