Eastern Spotted Skunk

Spilogale putorius

The eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) is a small, agile skunk of eastern and central North America, patterned with broken white stripes and spots rather than the long continuous stripes of the more familiar striped skunk. It has a slender body, bushy tail, and surprising climbing ability, and it often uses brush piles, hollow logs, rocky outcrops, farm buildings, and grassland edges for cover. Before spraying, it may stamp, hiss, and rise into a handstand with the tail arched over its back. Its diet includes insects, mice, small reptiles, eggs, carrion, fruit, and other seasonal foods.

This skunk has declined in many parts of its range, so management now includes trail-camera surveys, den-site protection, grassland and shrubland stewardship, and reducing accidental mortality in traps. It is not a normal pet species; possession is restricted in many areas, and rehabilitation should be left to trained wildlife professionals because skunks can carry rabies and other diseases. For farms and rural homes, preventing access to poultry feed, closing den openings after animals leave, and avoiding broad rodenticide use are more practical than trying to handle the animal directly.