Skunk

Skunk, mammal of the New World (North and South America) best known for the offensive odour it produces from glands on each side of the anus. The spotted skunk gives warning by standing on its front feet, and it sometimes sprays from this position, although it usually sprays after lowering its hind feet to the ground. Other species of skunks turn their backs, lift their tails, and eject a spray as far as 2 to 3 m (7 to 10 ft). Skunks give a “churring” sound when disturbed. They also growl and screech.

Skunks vary in size, but all species have black and white colouring. The striped, or common, skunk is found throughout the United States, Mexico, and southern Canada. Its long fur is usually black, with a narrow white stripe on its forehead and a single (sometimes double) white stripe running from its head down its back and often on to its tail. The legs are relatively short.

Skunks are omnivorous, eating small mammals, birds, eggs, and insects. They also like honey and bees. Many farmers believe that skunks keep the rodent population under control. Striped skunks breed in late winter or early spring. The den, lined with vegetation, can be a hole abandoned by another animal or a new one dug by the skunk. There the female produces one to ten young after a gestation period of 59 to 77 days. The offspring suckle for eight to ten weeks and then follow the mother, hunting for food. Males remain solitary during the summer. Females and their young often occupy a den together—sometimes with one male—for the winter sleep, which is not a true hibernation.

Scientific classification: Skunks belong to the family Mustelidae. The spotted skunk is classified as Spilogale putorius, the striped skunk as Mephitis mephitis.