MAMMALS

Striped Skunk, Mephitis mephitis

Family Mephitidae (skunks)

Size/Weight: approx. 22" long with tail; approx. 8 lbs.

Range: Throughout the United States

Habitat: Woodlands, rocky areas, usually near a water source

The striped skunk is known primarily for its ability to elude danger by spraying a noxious fluid from an anal duct. It is a stocky, weasel-­like mammal with a long, bushy tail and long front claws for digging. Its color is black with broad white stripes running down its sides, merging at a white stripe on the upper part of the tail. Usually solitary, striped skunks stay in dens during the day and forage at night. Being omnivorous, they will eat a wide variety of foods including fruit, nuts, insects, small mammals, and eggs.

Track size (front): 1" wide x 1½" long

Track size (rear): 1" wide x 2” long

Description of Track: There are five toes on each foot, tightly spaced, and the smaller inner toes do not always register. The claws are long and curved on the front foot, shorter on the rear, and prominent in the track. The metacarpal pads are fused in a loose arc shape, with an additional proximal pad in the front foot and a separate heel pad on the rear. The sole is hairless. The print is relatively small for the size of the animal, and it stays compact with toes that rarely splay apart.