Striped Skunk
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| Mephitis mephitis |
The Striped Skunk, Mephitis mephitis, is an omnivorous mammal of the skunk family Mephitidae. Found over most of the North American continent north of Mexico, it is one of the most well-known mammals in Canada and the United States.[1]
The Striped Skunk has a black body with a white stripe along each side of its body; the two stripes join into a broader white area at the nape. Its forehead has a narrow white stripe. About the size of a
The presence of a Striped Skunk is often first made apparent by its odor. It has well-developed
The skunk is primarily nocturnal. Beginning its search for food shortly after sundown, it feeds on mice, eggs, carrion, insects, grubs, and berries. At sunrise, it retires to its den, which may be in a ground burrow, or beneath a building, boulder, or rock pile. While the male dens by itself, several females may live together. The Striped Skunk does not hibernate.
In February or March, mating occurs, and by early May, after a 63-day
The Striped Skunk is beneficial as a consumer of rodent and insect populations, rarely eating farmers' poultry. The species can be domesticated as a pet.
[edit] See also
[edit] Citations
- ^ Burt, Grossenheider, p. 65.
[edit] References
- Burt, William H., and Grossenheider, Richard P. A Field Guide to the Mammals (of America North of Mexico). (The Petersen Field Guide Series.) Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-24084-0