Black-and-white New World mammals famous for spraying a foul-smelling liquid from glands under the tail. Their closest relatives are the Old World stink badgers.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Skunks are crepuscular: most active at dusk and dawn.
Hibernates?No
Not true hibernators, but they den up through winter, staying mostly inactive and feeding rarely.
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Some people keep skunks as pets, usually with the scent glands removed.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inNorth America, Central America, South America
HabitatForest, Grassland, Farmland, Towns
ColoursBlack, White
SizeSmall
Length46.5–81.5 cm (striped skunk)
Weight0.7–6.3 kg (striped skunk)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for3–7 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- The Americas: striped skunks across North America, spotted skunks south to Costa Rica, and hog-nosed skunks in North and South America.
- What it eats
- Omnivores: insects, small animals, eggs, wild fruit, nuts and corn, plus garbage in towns.
Did you know
Not a true hibernator: it dens up through winter and barely eats.
Skunks raid beehives and eat the guard bees that come out, and mothers teach their young to do it.
Often confused with
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A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
