Skunks

Color:

Although the most common fur color is black and white, some skunks are brown or grey and a few are cream-colored. All skunks are striped, even from birth. They may have a single thick stripe across back and tail, two thinner stripes, or a series of white spots and broken stripes (in the case of the spotted skunk).

Size: 20-30" long (including the tail).

Skunks live in burrows or dens. In some cases, they dig the burrow themselves using their strong and sharp claws. At other times too, skunks may take over abandoned dens constructed by other animals like the woodchuck or fox, and then make their own nests inside it. A skunk's burrow is usually built in chambers and lined with grass, leaves and hay. The typically skunk den has many entrances (from about four).

Aside from dens, skunks also nest in closed places like hollow logs, under brushes, open prairies, woodpiles, under porches, sheds, basements, culverts, garage, abandoned or incomplete buildings. They also reside in open lands, clearings, pastures and bordering forests. Furthermore, in prairies, skunks sometimes seek succor in thickets and timbre fringes usually close to water bodies.

Skunks are crepuscular and solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their range, they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day, they shelter in burrows which they can dig with their powerful front claws.

Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material and changing their diets as the seasons change. They eat insects and larvae, earthworms, grubs, rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles and eggs. They also commonly eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi and nuts.

Skunks are notorious for the foul odor of their spray and their digging habits. Skunks will leave holes in your lawn when digging for insects, and they can damage your foundation if one chooses to construct a burrow underneath your home.

Signs of skunk damage include:

• holes in lawn: small and cone-shaped; 3-4 inches in diameter
• damaged corn: skunks can only reach the lower ears
• skunk tracks: five toes on each foot with visible claws
• pilfered trash cans
• raided poultry houses: skunks will steal eggs and occasionally a chicken or other fowl.
• skunk odor

Skunks can carry contagious diseases, viruses and parasites that can be transmitted to humans and/or pets through a bite.
Some of the most serious illnesses include:

• leptospirosis
• canine distemper
• canine hepatitis
• intestinal roundworm (Baylisascaris columnaris)
• rabies