Skunks are New World mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginger colored, but all have warning coloration. While related to polecats and other members of the weasel family, skunks have as their closest relatives the Old World stink badgers.
Etymology The word skunk is dated from the 1630s, adapted from a southern New England Algonquian language word squunck, from Proto-Algonquian *šeka:kwa, from *šek- 'to urinate' + *-a:kw 'fox'. Skunk has historic use as an insult, attested from 1841. In 1634, a skunk was described in The Jesuit Relations:
The other is a low animal, about the size of a little dog or cat. I mention it here, not on account of its excellence, but to make of it a symbol of sin. I have seen three or four of them. It has black fur, quite beautiful and shining; and has upon its back two perfectly white stripes, which join near the neck and tail, making an oval that adds greatly to their grace. The tail is bushy and well furnished with hair, like the tail of a Fox; it carries it curled back like that of a Squirrel. It is more white than black; and, at the first glance, you would say, especially when it walks, that it ought to be called Jupiter's little dog. But it is so stinking and casts so foul an odor, that it is unworthy of being called the dog of Pluto. No sewer ever smelled so bad. I would not have believed it if I had not smelled it myself. Your heart almost fails you when you approach the animal; two have been killed in our court, and several days afterward there was such a dreadful odor throughout our house that we could not endure it. I believe the sin smelled by Saint Catherine de Sienne must have had the same vile odor. In Southern United States dialect, the term polecat is sometimes used as a colloquial nickname for a skunk, even though polecats are only distantly related to skunks.
Taxonomy
In alphabetical order, the living species of skunks are:
Family Mephitidae Genus: Conepatus Conepatus chinga – Molina's hog-nosed skunk Conepatus humboldtii – Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk Conepatus leuconotus – American hog-nosed skunk Conepatus semistriatus – striped hog-nosed skunk Genus: Mephitis Mephitis macroura – hooded skunk Mephitis mephitis – striped skunk Genus: Spilogale Spilogale angustifrons – southern spotted skunk Spilogale gracilis – western spotted skunk Spilogale putorius – eastern spotted skunk Spilogale pygmaea – pygmy spotted skunk
Description Skunk species vary in size from about 14 to 37 in (36 to 94 cm) long and in weight from less than 1 lb (0.45 kg) (spotted skunks) to 14 lb (6.4 kg) (hog-nosed skunks). They have moderately elongated bodies, short, muscular legs and five toes on each foot. Skunks have relatively large feet and long claws adapted for digging. Although the most common fur color is black and white, some skunks are brown or grey. All skunks are striped, even from birth. They may have a single thick stripe across the back and tail, two thinner stripes, or—in the case of the spotted skunk—a series of white spots and short, broken stripes.
Distribution Skunks are found primarily in the Western Hemisphere. Striped skunks are native to North America, from southern Canada to northern Mexico. Spotted skunks occur from southern Canada to Costa Rica. Hog-nosed skunks live in both North and South America.
Behavior
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. For most of the year the normal home range for skunks is 0.5 to 2 miles (1 to 3 km) in diameter, with males expanding during breeding season to travel 4 to 5 miles (6 to 8 km) per night. Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. Over winter, multiple females (as many as 12) huddle together; males often den alone. Often, the same winter den is repeatedly used. Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing, they have poor vision, being unable to see objects more than about 3 m (10 ft) away, making them vulnerable to death by road traffic. They are short-lived; their lifespan in the wild can reach seven years, with an average of six years. In captivity, they may live for up to 10 years.
Reproduction
Skunks mate in early spring and are polygynous (that is, successful males are uninhibited from mating with additional females). Female skunks generally give birth once per year (typically in May or early June). Skunks are placental, with a gestation period of about 66 days. Litters usually consist of four to six kits. Skunk kits are born blind and helpless, with their eyes opening approximately three weeks after birth. Weaning occurs after about two months. At about 6-8 weeks, the kits begin to accompany their mother outside of the den to hunt and forage for food. They generally stay with their mother until they are ready to mate, roughly at one year of age. The mother is protective of her kits, spraying at any sign of danger. The male plays no part in raising the young.
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