Pest Control – Wildlife – Skunks

Facts: Skunks

Name: Mephitus mephitis (Striped Skunk), Spilogale putorius (Spotted Skunk)

Appearance: Commonly black and white in color and about the same size as a house cat. Coloring, markings, and size vary by species, the most common species being the stripped and the spotted skunk. They have long claws on their front feet used for digging.

Habit: Skunks are well known for their odor. This odor is used as a defense mechanism to help the skunk avoid predators, and is generated by two internal glands near the base of the animal’s tail. The liquid that is discharged can reach up to 20 feet and can be discharged multiple times. Humans and animals that are sprayed can carry the odor around with them for long periods of time, and if sprayed in the eyes, can result in temporary blindness and pain. Skunks often like to hide underneath building foundations and porches by digging with their long front claws. This provides them with a low traffic, unexposed hiding place. Skunks are relatives of the weasel, and are within the same family.

Health/Damage Concerns: Skunks can be a serious health concern. They are known to carry disease and are the second highest cause for rabies transfer behind the raccoon. They also cause property damage, damage to gardens and crops, and harm to poultry and livestock. They are also well known to damage beehives and feed on both adult and larval stage bees.

Diet: Omnivore/Scavenger; eats small ground animals like moles, rats, mice, and shrews, along with garden vegetables, insects, and insect larvae.

Reproduction: Skunks commonly mate in the late winter months in time to give birth to offspring in the early summer. Reproductive frequency is dependent on the species, but doesn’t happen more than twice a year. Skunks do not hibernate, and are active all year, but will often hide out for several weeks in situations of extreme cold.


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