Striped skunk sizes vary greatly depending upon time of year and geographic location,with weights fluctuating between 1.5 and 13 pounds (0.7 to 6.3 kg), and total length varying between18 and 32 inches (46.5 to 81.5 cm). They den in ground burrows, stumps, wood and rock piles, overhanging creek banks and beneath buildings. Of the 3 skunks that underwent necropsy on 3 dpi, 2 had infectious virus in the turbinates but not in other tissues tested. 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. Striped skunks mate in February and early March. Skunks are capable of breeding in their first year. 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. Phylogeography of striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in North America: Pleistocene dispersal and contemporary population structure. When you become a member, you also receive exclusive benefits, like special opportunities to meet animals, discounts at Zoo stores and more. Males are typically slightlylarger than females. Confidence. According to IUCN, the Striped skunk is common and widely distributed throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. They prefer open areas, with abundant populations observed on agricultural lands. 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. 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. Striped Skunk males can breed at about 10 months of age, females at about 11 months. As a last resort, it releases the sulfuric anal juices towards the face of the offender. Spotted skunks were common around farms, and state harvest peaked at 19,400 in 1946, before populations plummeted. They move at a deliberate walk, slow trot or clumsy gallop. "Mephitis mephitis" (PDF). Cases of rabies in this species are generally epizootic and recurrent. The type locality is in eastern Canada. Density estimates for striped skunk populations ranged from 0.7 to 18.5/km 2 but most were 1.8 to 4.8/km 2 . Female Striped Skunks give birth to six to eight babies once a year only during the month of May or June. During winter for extended periods, they are inactive but they do not truly hibernate. Juvenile skunks are capable of spraying at 8 days old, around two weeks before their eyes open. [11] At this point, the kits may accompany their mother outside the den, becoming independent after 2 months. The eastern spotted skunk, also known as the civet cat, reaches its northernmost limit in the northcentral United States. Striped skunks weigh up to 8 pounds. Skunk pelts are divided into four grades, with the most prized being the ones with a greater amount of black. Eastern striped skunks are relatively common throughout the United States and can be found throughout Maryland. 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. [20], The fat was once reputed to make an excellent lubricant. Please enable scripts and reload this page. 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. 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. 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. 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. Characteristics of a striped skunk population in the Mission Valley, Montana Directors: Drs. [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. Striped Skunks become sexually mature when they are approximately ten months old. 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. Appearance: Short, stocky build. Eastern Canada; Nova Scotia, Quebec, and northern Ontario. I studied habitat, site, and population parameters of striped skunks, based on . The most common skunks in North America, striped skunks are terrestrial animals that can survive in a variety of habitats and land types. Southern and western Texas, eastern New Mexico, and adjacent parts of Mexico; north into Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska. [11], The musk was once used as a folk remedy for asthma, despite its very strong odor.[12]. 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. This page is available in other languages. They can weigh from 6 to 14 pounds. 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. 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. The females will retreat to the den to give birth. [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. PO Box 188 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. Spraying typically takes place after a warning display, where the skunk stomps its feet and arches its back, at the same time raising its tail. These polka-dotted relatives are smaller, about the size of a fat squirrel, and do impressive handstands to warn predators before they launch their stinky spray. Striped Skunk on The IUCN Red List site -. Population. Prior to spraying, skunks usually warn intruders by stamping their feet and holding the tail high in the air. . Striped skunks are classified as unprotected species in Minnesota. Color: Black with two white stripes on its back and tail. The eyes are small and the ears are short. Since 1996, spotted skunks have been classified as threatened in Minnesota, and any sightings should be reported to Minnesota DNR. And, like these two other mammals, skunks walk in a plantigrade manneron the soles of their feet with heels touching the ground. 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. The burrow has a central chamber (12 to 15 inches in diameter) about three feet underground, connected to the surface by one or more tunnels 5 to 15 feet long. Year-round. One outbreak can kill 80 percent of a regional skunk population in less than a year. They often live in the abandoned dens of other mammals during the day, or take up residence in hollowed logs, brush piles or underneath buildings. The newborns are blind and deaf, and wont open their eyes for about three weeks. Striped skunks are omnivorous, opportunistic feeders. Its tail is black, fluffy, and long. Written by Jason Dahl, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point student. A surfeit is the word for a group of skunks. Surprisingly, a skunk seldom sprays when caught in a foothold or box trap. The resultant "dog training lesson" can offend a whole neighborhood. The striped skunk has been protected under the Environmental Conservation Law since the late 1800s. What they eat depends on where they live and what is available. Skunks are armed with a potent defensive weapon: a pair of large scent glands found beneath the skin on either side of the rectum. Mammalian predators typically avoid skunks, unless they are starving. Rabies outbreaks have affected populations in Illinois. 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. Below, we have summarized the various classifications, monitoring, research, and contact information for each state alphabetically. They are slightly larger and their scent is not as strong as the Eastern Spotted Skunk's. Description: A medium-sized, stout-bodied mammal with a small head, short legs, and a prominent, bushy tail. Spotted skunks will also use barns and out buildings for cover. They are found in every county of Ohio as well as throughout the United States. 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. Adults grow to be about 47 to 82 cm (about 18 to 32 inches) long and may weigh up to 6.3 kg (13 pounds). Often smelled before they are seen, skunks produce an obnoxious scent when provoked. The second, still originating in the Texas-Mexico region, expanded westwards to the Rocky Mountains during the Illinoian glacial period. A skunks pelt is composed of soft, wavy underfur overlain with long, coarse guard hairs. [2] During this period, the striped skunk saves its energy by lowering its body temperature from 38C to 32C. (218) 667-4201 They favor mixed woods and brushland, rolling weedy fields, fencerows, wooded ravines and rocky outcrops in or near agricultural areas. Striped skunks are found throughout Florida, except the Keys, and can be found in both natural and residential areas. Presence. Kits are born blind and sparsely furred, weighing 2540grams. 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 often leave holes in the ground where they forage for insects or tear apart ground nests of small animals. The striped skunk can be a difficult neighbor because of its fearlessness and effective weaponry. Some farmers welcome their presence, realizing that these small predators eat many pest insects and rodents. Because striped skunks are abundant, their populations are often susceptible to diseases such as rabies. Do not truly hibernate the various classifications, monitoring, research, and any sightings be... Common and widely distributed throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available northernmost limit in the ground,. 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