In the 2012 President's Budget Request, the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is terminated. As a result, all resources, databases, tools, and applications within this web site will be removed on January 15, 2012. For more information, please refer to the NBII Program Termination page.
Description:The Striped Skunk is about the size of a domestic cat, with two white stripes running along each side of the back from neck to tail. Their characteristic skunk musk is emitted from two large scent glands near the base of the tail.
Life History:Striped Skunks are nocturnal omnivores. Insects form the bulk of their diet, but they will eat reptiles, small mammals, birds, and vegetation.
Their breeding period begins in February or March. The young are born in May, with average litters consisting of five or six offspring.
Their lifespan is seldom more than two years in the wild, but they have been known to live fifteen years in captivity. Like humans, most predators avoid skunks because of the odor of their musk.
Habitat:The skunk is found in wooded or brushy areas and agricultural clearings. They prefer taking shelter under rocky outcrops or boulders or burrows made by animals of similar size. If necessary, they will use their long front claws to create a den. A well-situated den may house several individuals.
Distribution:Striped skunks are found throughout much of North America, ranging from central Canada, throughout the United States, and south into northern Mexico.
Raccoon (Procyon lotor) [Image courtesy of Terry Spivey, USDA Forest Service]
Mammals are endothermic (warm-blooded), vertebrate animals with skin covered by hair. Females have mammary glands for feeding the young, who are usually born quite immature. Examples include humans, deer, bats, bears, squirrels, and mice.
The Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plans (CWCS) developed by each state compiled lists of mammals considered to be of Greatest Conservation Need (GCN). According to the action plans of the states in the Central Southwest/Gulf Coast region, an average of 32 species in each state are of conservation concern. For more information, visit the State Wildlife Action Plans and choose your state from the drop-down menu.
Below are additional resources and information from the NBII Catalog pertaining to mammals in the Central Southwest/Gulf Coast region. Search results can be limited to a particular state by typing the state's name into the search box.
The NBII Program is administered by the Biological Informatics Program of the U.S. Geological Survey