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Striped skunk - MEPHITIS MEPHITIS
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Skunk": "Skunk" comes from the native American Massachuset word "squnck."
Location: Canada to northern Mexico.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Open woodland and grassland.
Description: The body is stocky. The head is small and elongated, with small round ears. The legs are short and the five-toed feet have powerful claws. The coat is long, black and shiny with a white stripe on the forehead; two other white stripes fan out from the nape and run down each side. The tail also has some white hairs, especially at the tip. The anal glands are highly developed. The head and body are about 18 inches long. The tail may be seven to 16 inches, and they may weigh three to 12 pounds.
Behavior: The striped skunk is a docile animal and somewhat gregarious. The females often share territories or even dens. They live in underground burrows consisting of various chambers and entrances. In winter, they do not hibernate, but enter a period of inactivity during which several individuals gather together in a den and stay there sleeping and drowsing. The skunk is omnivorous and nocturnal. One notable defensive behavior is the discharge of a noxious scent from its anal glands when in danger.
Reproduction: Mating takes place in the burrow in February or March. After a gestation period of 60 to 75 days, five to eight young are born. The young nurse for two months.
Go to the Carnivore Page to learn more about all the meat-eating animals.
Go to the Spotted Skunk for
the only other Skunk listed in America Zoo.
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