Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Mephitidae
Genus	Mephitis (1)

Top facts

• The striped skunk is the most common skunk in North America and is found in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
• Skunks are famous for their defence behaviour, spraying a pungent fluid from glands near the base of the tail when threatened.
• Skunks can spray this foul-smelling fluid up to twelve feet.
• The striped skunk is omnivorous; while mainly feeding on insects it also occasionally eats small mammals, birds and plant matter.

Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1).

Information on the striped skunk is currently being researched and written and will appear here shortly.

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

1. IUCN Red List (October, 2009)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org/