mustelid family which includes weasels ferrets martensskunk found over much of the country but in the Eaststriped skunk Widespread it occurs in all 48 contiguon age sex physical condition ID: 170302
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Wildlife Note23 mustelid family, which includes weasels, ferrets, martens,skunk, found over much of the country, but in the East,striped skunk. Widespread, it occurs in all 48 contigu-on age, sex, physical condition and time of year. Malesin a plantigrade manneron the soles of their feet withheels touching the ground. The claws of a skunks fore-its head, and a V-shaped mark over its shoulders, whichforms stripes that continue along the animals back, of-black, usually tipped white. Sexes are colored andA skunks pelt is composed of soft, wavy un-Skunks molt yearly, beginning in April andending some time in September.lop; their top speed is about 10 miles per hour. They canever, is acute.Musk is an oily liquid, creamy or yellowish in color.or, if the skunk has been able to direct the substance intothe animals eyes, temporarily blind.enemy. If threatened, a skunk drums its forefeet on thepends on where they live and whats available. In sum-mer, they feed heavily on insects adult and larval forms In fall and winter, skunks eat fruit such as wild grapesand shrews; plant items such as grasses, leaves and buds;burrow, although if none is available it will dig its own.may den in several different burrows; in winter, it tendsNormally solitary, males and females get together forother, although they rarely discharge musk during thesebreeding in their first year. Younger females may bearwrinkled skin. They develop quickly. After three weeks,By November, young of the year are as large as adults.tember, some mothers over-winter with their offspring.dormant underground all winter. Their body tempera-Females usually lose 10 to 30 per-the day.which lacks a well-developed sense of smell and appar-ently is not bothered by the skunks musk, is a predator.skunk, but the skunks potent musk warns off most preda-nia, distemper, pulmonary aspergillosis, tularemia, bru-in the wild; in captivity, they have lived 10 years.tions occur in densely forested mountain regions. Wild- has proven highly adaptable. Alongtheir nocturnal habits, remain unseen although per-Skunks are susceptible to distemper and rabies. Trap-vere weather, food scarcities and habitat change. Wildlife Notes are available from theHarrisburg, PA 17110-9797www.pgc.state.pa.us