Striped Skunk

Mephitis mephitis

The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is the familiar black-and-white skunk of North America, though the exact stripe pattern varies from a narrow pair of lines to a broad white back and tail. It is a medium-sized mephitid carnivore with short legs, strong digging claws, and anal scent glands capable of spraying a sulfur-rich musk when threatened. Striped skunks are mostly nocturnal and highly adaptable, feeding on insects, grubs, eggs, small vertebrates, fruit, carrion, and human-associated foods in farms, suburbs, and open woodland.

Most human dealings with striped skunks involve wildlife conflict prevention, rehabilitation, education programs, or regulated captive-bred pets where allowed. Excluding them from sheds, crawl spaces, and poultry areas is usually safer than trapping, especially during denning season. Rehabbers need rabies-aware protocols, quarantine, species-appropriate diets, and release sites with cover and natural food. Pet skunk ownership varies by jurisdiction and veterinary access can be limited; descenting remains controversial and does not remove the need for secure housing, enrichment, weight control, and realistic expectations about digging and scent-marking behavior.