General Information

Striped skunks are abundant throughout the United States, southern Canada and northern Mexico. They are found in both rural and urban areas and can make their homes under buildings or in hollowed out logs; sometimes they will occupy dens of other animals. 

Striped skunks are nocturnal and are less active during the winter. They are not true hibernators but they will store up extra fat during the fall to make up for their decreased activity during colder months. Starting in February they will look for a mate and start breeding. Litters are born during May and June and by eight days old the young can emit odor. Male skunks are promiscuous and will mate with many females while the females raise the litter and teach the youngsters to hunt and find food.   

Meet Our Striped Skunks

Three striped skunks, Stanley, Marvin, and Iris, reside in the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden—Presented by KeyBank at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Lifespan

Wild: 2-4 years
Captivity: ~10 years

Fun Facts

• Striped skunks have two scent glands at the base of their tail that contain a total of one tablespoon of a sulfur-containing fluid that they use to defend themselves against predators. This spray is used as a last defense by the skunk, as they will usually stomp their feet, lift up their rear end and tail and make a hissing noise before they spray. They can accurately spray this fluid up to 10 feet and they can usually spray about 5 times before they run out of fluid. This fluid takes about 10 ten days to regenerate.
• Most species use camouflage as protection from predators. Striped skunks are nocturnal, so their black fur helps them to hide or blend in at night when they are most active. However, the white stripes down their back cause them to stand out against a black background. Therefore, the reason for their coloring is not actually for camouflaging but instead it is used as a warning to other animals. When an animal gets sprayed by a skunk it usually remembers for the rest of its life to stay away from the “white-striped animal.”
• A favorite food of the striped skunk is the yellow jacket. Skunks will dig up their underground nests and as the yellow jackets escape from the nest the skunk stomps on them and eats them. A skunk is immune to their venom.
• Striped skunks live on a diet of fruit and vegetables, eggs, insects, larvae and small mammals, fish and reptiles.