Some research programmes may require husbandry and breeding of captive animals, and because skunks are inactive in the winter in northern environments, special methods are needed to maintain the animals over winter. [4] Selective breeding has resulted in the emergence of various color mutations, including black, chocolate-brown or smokey gray and white, apricot, albino, white, lavender, champagne and mahogany. Male skunks will go off on their own after a few months, while females may remain with their mother for up to a year. [13] It can be sprayed at a distance of several meters. [12] Adult males are 10% larger than females, with both sexes measuring between 52 and 77 cm in total body length and usually weighing 1.8–4.5 kg (4.0–9.9 lb), though some may weigh 5.5 kg (12 lb). The striped skunk is easily identified by the white stripe that runs from its head to its tail. [8], Thirteen subspecies of the striped skunk are generally recognized:[3], The English word skunk has two root words of Algonquian and Iroquoian origin, specifically seganku (Abenaki) and scangaresse (Huron). Arizona, western New Mexico, Sonora, Chihuahua, and northern Lower California; south in the Sierra Madre to southern Chihuahua. Once the mating period has finished, the impregnated females confine themselves to their dens, while the males attempt to rebuild their fat reserves. The mating season usually occurs between mid-February to mid-April, though it is delayed at higher latitudes. [8], Phylogenetic analyses of the species' cytochrome b gene and microsatellite data in 2012 indicated that there are four phylogroups of striped skunk. The spotted skunk occurs in rocky foothills, mesas, canyons and along major rivers of the High Plains. [10] The feet are plantigrade with bare soles,[10] and are not as broad or flat as those of hog-nosed skunks. [4] Emphasis was placed on selectively breeding the tamest and darkest colored skunks. In the spring of 2002, three wild-caught, pregnant females gave birth in captivity (mean litter size=7). Skunks prosper in a variety of habitats including wetland, forest and agricultural edge. Reproduction in Skunks is like reproduction in many other mammals including humans. Striped skunks are also common in urban areas. Southern Washington and northern Oregon, east of the Cascade Mountains. [13], The striped skunk is a stoutly-built, short-limbed animal with a small, conical head and a long, heavily furred tail. After a 59-77 day gestation, anywhere from 2 … Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Skunk Spray. Its fur is intrinsically valuable, being durable and having rich luster, though this trait decreases with wear and exposure to sunlight. [10], The color patterns of the fur vary greatly, but generally consist of a black base with a white stripe extending from the head which divides along the shoulders, continuing along the flanks to the rump and tail. The striped skunk is polygamous, and normally breeds once a year, though yearling females who have failed to mate may enter a second estrous cycle a month after the first. 1), which is the size of a domestic cat, ranges in length from 22 to 32 inches including its tail.Its fur is jet black except for two prominent white stripes running down its back. Its stripes start with a triangle at the head and break into two stripes down its back. Kits are born blind and sparsely furred, weighing 25–40 grams. The male will mate with more than one female in a breeding season, but the female will mate with only one male. Your Wildlife Professionals, Inc. considers both the time of year striped skunks breed, when striped skunks are born, striped skunk gestation period, the number of striped skunks born, striped skunk weaning period, and the average reproductive age of striped skunks within their respective geographic region of Virginia prior to controlling striped skunks in your landscape, home, or yard in Alexandria, … Food. Two subsequent subclades were formed during the Sangamonian interglacial on either side of the Sierra Nevada. [13] The meat was prized by Chinese immigrants, who also bought skunk gall bladders for medicinal purposes. The Winnebago people used the skunk to symbolize vanity, being beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside. They nurse for about a month and a half in the mother's den". It has been prevalent in modern popular culture, being the subject of various jazz and funk songs like Cab Calloway's "Skunk Song" and the Brecker Brothers' "Some Skunk Funk". [11], The striped skunk is easily tamed and was often kept in barns to kill rats and mice during the 19th century. The stripes usually meet again and form one stripe at the base of their tail. Reproduction: Reproduction for the striped skunk occurs throughout February and March. The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is the focus of research interest for a variety of reasons, including its roles as a rabies reservoir, urban pest, predator of bird eggs, and parasite host. It will be under a wood pile, dig a den in a bank, or inhabit an abandoned den from another animal, like a woodchuck's burrow. Mammalian predators typically avoid skunks, unless they are starving. skunks spray even before their eyes are open All skunks are striped from birth, which can vary in size and color and quantity. After mating, females no longer associate with males and will become aggressive towards them through vocalizing, stamping their feet and fighting if necessary. There are 11 different species in the skunk family, with 5 species residing throughout the United States, but only the striped skunk can be found in New York. [5] The striped skunk is one of the most recognizable of North America's animals, and is a popular figure in cartoons and children's books. [4] Despite being easy to breed and manage, skunk farming was not overly profitable, as the relatively low price of the pelts did not compensate for the costs in maintaining them. Some populations, particularly in northwestern Illinois, prefer cultivated areas over uncultivated ones. [16], The fat was once reputed to make an excellent lubricant. The first emerged from the Texas-Mexico region during the Rancholabrean before the Illinoian glaciation and colonized the southeastern United States. Southern and western Texas, eastern New Mexico, and adjacent parts of Mexico; north into Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska. [16] While not adapted for chasing fleet-footed prey, at least one specimen was observed pursuing gray cottontails into their burrows. The young are born sightle… [11], Like all skunks, the striped skunk possesses two highly developed scent glands, one on each side of the anus, containing about 15 milliliters of musk each,[13] which provides a chemical defense against predation. Reproduction: Striped skunks mate from mid-February to mid-April. After this time, they will begin to go outside and learn to hunt from their mother. [11] At this point, the kits may accompany their mother outside the den, becoming independent after 2½ months. In G. Feldhamer, B. Thompson, & J. Chapman (Eds., Revision of the skunks of the genus Chincha, Wild Mammals of North America; biology, management and conservation, Life-histories of northern animals : an account of the mammals of Manitoba, Fur-bearing animals: a monograph of North American Mustelidae, in which an account of the wolverene, the martens or sables, the ermine, the mink and various other kinds of weasels, several species of skunks, the badger, the land and sea otters, and numerous exotic allies of these animals, is contributed to the history of North American mammals, The mammals of the Adirondack region, northeastern New York, "The chemistry of defense: theory and practice", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Striped_skunk&oldid=1009105517, Articles containing Eastern Abnaki-language text, Articles containing Chipewyan-language text, Articles containing Chilcotin-language text, Articles containing Wyandot-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Weather conditions had little effect on skunk activity levels except during the winter season, when snow cover and temperature negatively influenced daily ODBA. She will then build a nest. The striped skunk occurs throughout most of Maine. [2] Like all skunks, they possess highly developed, musk-filled scent glands to ward off predators. The striped skunk is about the size of a house cat, with a large deep body, small head, and short legs. Two white lines forming a “V” from the shoulder area may extend part way or all of the way to the base of the bushy tail. [14] This oily, yellow-colored musk consists of a mixture of powerfully odorous thiols (sulfur analogues of alcohols, in older sources called "mercaptans"), which can be sprayed at a distance of several meters. These dens are normally used only in late fall, winter, and early spring, while females with unweaned kits make use of them in late spring and summer. 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