Skunk Facts

About the skunk

Skunks come in several kinds, including hog-nosed, striped, hooded and spotted skunks. Lengths run from about 14 to 37 in (36 to 94 cm), and weights from under 1 lb for spotted skunks up to 14 lb for hog-nosed types. Every skunk has stripes from birth, and black and white is the usual pattern, though some are brown or gray. Big feet and long claws make them strong diggers.

Striped skunks live between southern Canada and northern Mexico, spotted skunks reach south to Costa Rica, and hog-nosed skunks live in both Americas. Active at dawn and dusk, they mostly keep to themselves and spend daylight hours in burrows. A typical home range spans 0.5 to 2 miles, but breeding males may cover 4 to 5 miles a night. In winter they don't fully hibernate, but they hole up and rarely eat.

Did you know?

• Their closest relatives are the Old World stink badgers rather than polecats or weasels.
• In cold areas, as many as 12 females may share one den over winter.
• Spotted skunks wear white spots and short broken stripes instead of long bands.