Discover

Today
Animals
Explore
Archive
Search

Use it

Classroom
Resources
Field lab
Quiz
Saved

Trust

Methodology
Sources
Corrections
Accessibility
Contributors

Details

About
Contact
Privacy
Terms
Newsletter

Striped Skunk | Daily Animal Facts

Animal profile

Striped Skunk

Mephitis mephitis

MammaliaWoodland edge, farmland, grassland and suburbs across a wide climatic rangeLeast Concern

Field profile

The striped skunk is a nocturnal omnivore best known for its chemical defence, a sulphurous spray delivered from paired anal glands. It is not a mustelid; skunks were moved to their own family, Mephitidae, on genetic evidence. It eats large quantities of insects and is a common suburban mammal.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-01-13

Striped Skunk

A skunk gives several warnings before spraying

Spray is a last resort with a limited supply. Before using it a striped skunk stamps its front feet, hisses, raises its tail and may charge without discharging, a graded sequence that resolves most encounters without chemistry.

Read with evidence →