Skunks are
mammals
Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
in the family
Mephitidae
Mephitidae is a family of mammals comprising the skunks and stink badgers. They are noted for the great development of their anal scent glands, which they use to deter predators. Skunks were formerly classified as a subfamily of the Mustelidae ...
. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their
anal gland
Anal may refer to:
Related to the anus
*Related to the anus of animals:
** Anal fin, in fish anatomy
** Anal vein, in insect anatomy
** Anal scale, in reptile anatomy
*Related to the human anus:
** Anal sex, a type of sexual activity involving s ...
s. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginger colored, but all have
warning coloration
Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste or ...
.
While related to
polecat
Polecat is a common name for several mustelid species in the order Carnivora and subfamilies Ictonychinae and Mustelinae. Polecats do not form a single taxonomic rank (i.e. clade). The name is applied to several species with broad similarities t ...
s and other members of the
weasel family
The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in the ...
, skunks have as their closest relatives the Old World
stink badger
Stink badgers, also known as false badgers are a genus (''Mydaus'') of the skunk family of carnivorans, the Mephitidae. They resemble the better-known members of the family Mustelidae also termed 'badgers' (which are themselves a polyphyletic g ...
s.
Taxonomy
In alphabetical order, the living species of skunks are:
![Hooded skunk skeleton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Hooded_skunk_skeleton.JPG)
* Family Mephitidae
** Genus: ''
Conepatus
The hog-nosed skunks belong to the genus ''Conepatus'' and are members of the family Mephitidae (skunks). They are native to the Americas. They have white backs and tails and black underparts.
Species
Extinct species
†''Conepatus robustus'' ...
''
*** ''Conepatus chinga'' –
Molina's hog-nosed skunk
Molina's hog-nosed skunk, also called the Andes skunk (''Conepatus chinga''), is a skunk species from South America. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, and Uruguay, at elevations up to 5000 m.
Habitat
The Molina' ...
*** ''Conepatus humboldtii'' –
Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk
Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk (''Conepatus humboldtii''), also known as the Patagonian hog-nosed skunk, is a type of hog-nosed skunk indigenous to the open grassy areas in the Patagonian regions of South Argentina and Chile. It belongs to the order ...
*** ''Conepatus leuconotus'' –
American hog-nosed skunk
The American hog-nosed skunk (''Conepatus leuconotus'') is a species of hog-nosed skunk from Central and North America, and is one of the largest skunks in the world, growing to lengths of up to . Recent work has concluded the western hog-nosed s ...
*** ''Conepatus semistriatus'' –
striped hog-nosed skunk
The striped hog-nosed skunk (''Conepatus semistriatus'') is a skunk species from Central and South America (from southern Mexico to northern Peru, and in the extreme east of Brazil). This species of skunk is considered a generalist species, bec ...
** Genus: ''
Mephitis''
*** ''Mephitis macroura'' –
hooded skunk
The hooded skunk (''Mephitis macroura'') is a species of mammal in the family Mephitidae. ''Mephītis'' in Latin means "foul odor", μακρός (''makrós'') in Greek translates to "long" and οὐρά (''ourá'') translates to "tail".
Morphol ...
*** ''Mephitis mephitis'' –
striped skunk
The striped skunk (''Mephitis mephitis'') is a skunk of the genus '' Mephitis'' that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on ac ...
** Genus: ''
Spilogale
The genus ''Spilogale'' includes all skunks commonly known as spotted skunks. Currently, there are four accepted extant species: ''S. gracilis'', ''S. putorius'', ''S. pygmaea'', and ''S. angustifrons''. New research, however, proposes that ther ...
''
*** ''Spilogale angustifrons'' –
southern spotted skunk
The southern spotted skunk (''Spilogale angustifrons'') is a species of mammal in the skunk family, (Mephitidae). It ranges from Costa Rica to southern Mexico. At one time this skunk was considered to be a subspecies of the eastern spotted skunk ...
*** ''Spilogale gracilis'' –
western spotted skunk
The western spotted skunk (''Spilogale gracilis'') is a spotted skunk of western North America.
Description
With a total length of , the western spotted skunk is smaller than the striped skunk (''Mephitis mephitis''). Males, which weigh , are s ...
*** ''Spilogale putorius'' –
eastern spotted skunk
The eastern spotted skunk (''Spilogale putorius'') is a small, relatively slender skunk found in North America, throughout the eastern United States and in small areas of Canada and Mexico.
This small skunk is more weasel-like in body shape tha ...
*** ''Spilogale pygmaea'' –
pygmy spotted skunk
The pygmy spotted skunk (''Spilogale pygmaea'') is a species of mammal in the family Mephitidae. It is endemic to Mexico.
Distribution and habitat
The pygmy skunk inhabits along the Pacific coast of Mexico. It is found in woodlands and thickets ...
Terminology
The word ''skunk'' is dated from the 1630s, adapted from a southern New England
Algonquian language (probably
Abenaki
The Abenaki (Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was predom ...
) , from
Proto-Algonquian
Proto-Algonquian (commonly abbreviated PA) is the proto-language from which the various Algonquian languages are descended. It is generally estimated to have been spoken around 2,500 to 3,000 years ago, but there is less agreement on where it was ...
, from 'to urinate' + 'fox'. ''Skunk'' has historic use as an insult, attested from 1841.
In 1634, a skunk was described in ''
The Jesuit Relations
''The Jesuit Relations'', also known as ''Relations des Jésuites de la Nouvelle-France'', are chronicles of the Jesuit missions in New France. The works were written annually and printed beginning in 1632 and ending in 1673.
Originally written ...
'':
In Southern United States dialect, the term ''polecat'' is sometimes used as a
colloquial
Colloquialism (), also called colloquial language, everyday language or general parlance, is the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom normally employed in conver ...
nickname for a skunk, even though
polecat
Polecat is a common name for several mustelid species in the order Carnivora and subfamilies Ictonychinae and Mustelinae. Polecats do not form a single taxonomic rank (i.e. clade). The name is applied to several species with broad similarities t ...
s are only distantly related to skunks.
As a verb, ''
skunk
Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginge ...
'' is used to describe the act of overwhelmingly defeating an opponent in a game or competition. ''Skunk'' is also used to refer to certain strong-smelling strains of
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
whose smell has been compared to that of a skunk's spray.
Description
Skunk species vary in size from about long and in weight from about (spotted skunks) to (
hog-nosed skunk
The hog-nosed skunks belong to the genus ''Conepatus'' and are members of the family Mephitidae
Mephitidae is a family of mammals comprising the skunks and stink badgers. They are noted for the great development of their anal scent glands, ...
s). They have moderately elongated bodies with relatively short, well-muscled legs and long front
claw
A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus ...
s for digging. They have five toes on each foot.
![The back left foot of an albino skunk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/The_back_left_foot_of_an_albino_skunk.jpg)
Although the most common fur color is black and white, some skunks are brown or grey and a few are cream-colored. All skunks are striped, even from birth. They may have a single thick stripe across the back and tail, two thinner stripes, or a series of white spots and broken stripes (in the case of the spotted skunk).
Behavior
![Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) 01 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Striped_Skunk_%28Mephitis_mephitis%29_01_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Skunks are
crepuscular
In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal, vespertine, or both. This is distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behavior, where an animal is active during the hours of daylig ...
and solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their
range
Range may refer to:
Geography
* Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra)
** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands
* Range, a term used to i ...
, they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day they shelter in burrows, which they can dig with their powerful front claws. For most of the year the normal home range for skunks is 0.5 to 2.0 miles in diameter, with males expanding during breeding season to travel 4 to 5 miles per night.
Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. Over winter, multiple females (as many as 12) huddle together; males often den alone. Often, the same winter den is repeatedly used.
Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing, they have poor vision, being unable to see objects more than about away, making them vulnerable to
death by road traffic. They are short-lived; their lifespan in the wild can reach seven years, with most living only up to a year.
[ADW: Mephitis mephitis: INFORMATION](_blank)
Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu. Retrieved on 5 April 2012.
The Pennsylvania State University (2002). In captivity, they may live for up to 10 years.
Reproduction
Skunks mate in early spring and are
polygynous
Polygyny (; from Neoclassical Greek πολυγυνία (); ) is the most common and accepted form of polygamy around the world, entailing the marriage of a man with several women.
Incidence
Polygyny is more widespread in Africa than in any ...
(that is, successful males are uninhibited from mating with additional females.)
Before giving birth (usually in May), the female excavates a den to house her litter of four to seven kits.
Skunks are
placenta
The placenta is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas and waste exchange between the physically separate mater ...
l, with a gestation period of about 66 days.
When born, skunk kits are blind and deaf, but already covered by a soft layer of fur. About three weeks after birth, they first open their eyes; the kits are weaned about two months after birth. They generally stay with their mother until they are ready to mate, roughly at one year of age.
The mother is protective of her kits, spraying at any sign of danger. The male plays no part in raising the young.
Diet
Skunks are
omnivorous
An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutri ...
, eating both plant and animal material and changing their diets as the seasons change. They eat insects,
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e,
earthworm
An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal segmentation; and they usually have setae on all segments. Th ...
s,
grub
Grub can refer to Grub (larva), of the beetle superfamily Scarabaeoidea, or as a slang term for food. It can also refer to:
Places
* Grub, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Switzerland
* Grub, St. Gallen, Switzerland
* Grub (Amerang), a hamlet in Bavaria, ...
s,
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...
s, lizards,
salamander
Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten ...
s, frogs, snakes, birds,
moles Moles can refer to:
* Moles de Xert, a mountain range in the Baix Maestrat comarca, Valencian Community, Spain
* The Moles (Australian band)
*The Moles, alter ego of Scottish band Simon Dupree and the Big Sound
People
*Abraham Moles, French engin ...
, and
eggs
Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...
. They also commonly eat
berries
A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...
,
root
In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the sur ...
s,
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
, grasses, fungi and
nuts.
In settled areas, skunks also seek garbage left by humans. Less often, skunks may be found acting as
scavenger
Scavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While scavenging generally refers to carnivores feeding on carrion, it is also a herbivorous feeding b ...
s, eating bird and
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...
carcasses left by cats or other animals. Pet owners, particularly those of cats, may experience a skunk finding its way into a garage or basement where pet food is kept. Skunks commonly dig holes in lawns in search of grubs and worms.
Skunks use their long claws to break apart rotting logs to find bugs that live within them. They also use those claws to help dig for insects, which leaves behind pits, which are easy signs of foraging. The claws also help with pining down live and active prey.
Skunks are one of the primary predators of the
honeybee
A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosmo ...
, relying on their thick fur to protect them from stings. The skunk scratches at the front of the
beehive
A beehive is an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species of the subgenus '' Apis'' live and raise their young. Though the word ''beehive'' is commonly used to describe the nest of any bee colony, scientific and professional literature ...
and eats the guard bees that come out to investigate. Mother skunks are known to teach this behavior to their young.
Spray
![Skunk about to spray](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Skunk_about_to_spray.jpg)
Skunks are notorious for their anal scent glands, which they can use as a
defensive weapon
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...
. They are similar to, though much more developed than, the glands found in species of the family
Mustelidae
The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in ...
. Skunks have two glands, one on each side of the anus. These glands produce the skunk's spray, which is a mixture of
sulfur
Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...
-containing chemicals such as
thiol
In organic chemistry, a thiol (; ), or thiol derivative, is any organosulfur compound of the form , where R represents an alkyl or other organic substituent. The functional group itself is referred to as either a thiol group or a sulfhydryl gro ...
s (traditionally called mercaptans), which have an offensive odor. The thiols also make their spray highly flammable. A skunk's spray is powerful enough to ward off bears and other potential attackers.
Muscles
Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of muscle ...
located next to the scent glands allow them to spray with a high degree of accuracy, as far as . The spray can also cause irritation and even temporary blindness, and is sufficiently powerful to be detected by a human nose up to 5.6 km (3.5 miles) downwind. Their chemical defense is effective, as illustrated by this extract from
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended fr ...
's 1839 book ''
The Voyage of the Beagle
''The Voyage of the Beagle'' is the title most commonly given to the book written by Charles Darwin and published in 1839 as his ''Journal and Remarks'', bringing him considerable fame and respect. This was the third volume of ''The Narrative ...
'':
Skunks carry just enough for five or six successive sprays – about 15 cm
3 – and require up to ten days to produce another supply. Their bold black and white
coloration makes their appearance memorable. It is to a skunk's advantage to warn possible
predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
s off without expending scent: black and white
aposematic
Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste or ...
warning coloration aside, threatened skunks will go through an elaborate routine of hisses, foot-stamping, and tail-high
deimatic
Deimatic behaviour or startle display means any pattern of bluffing behaviour in an animal that lacks strong defences, such as suddenly displaying conspicuous eyespots, to scare off or momentarily distract a predator, thus giving the prey anim ...
or threat postures before resorting to spraying. Skunks usually do not spray other skunks, except among males in the mating season. If they fight over den space in autumn, they do so with teeth and claws.
Most
predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
s of the Americas, such as
wolves
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...
,
foxes
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
, and
badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united b ...
s, seldom attack skunks, presumably out of fear of being sprayed. The exceptions are reckless predators whose attacks fail once they are sprayed, dogs, and the
great horned owl
The great horned owl (''Bubo virginianus''), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the "winged tiger" or "tiger of the air"), or the hoot owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extrem ...
, which is the skunk's only regular predator.
In one case, the remains of 57
striped skunk
The striped skunk (''Mephitis mephitis'') is a skunk of the genus '' Mephitis'' that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on ac ...
s were found in a single great horned owl nest.
Skunks are common in suburban areas. Frequent encounters with dogs and other domestic animals, and the release of the odor when a skunk is
run over, have led to many misconceptions about the removal of skunk odor, including the pervasive idea that
tomato juice will neutralize the odor. These household remedies are ineffective, and only appear to work due to
olfactory fatigue
Olfactory fatigue, also known as odor fatigue, olfactory adaptation, and noseblindness, is the temporary, normal inability to distinguish a particular odor after a prolonged exposure to that airborne compound. For example, when entering a restaura ...
.
The Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is an American nonprofit organization that focuses on animal welfare and opposes animal-related cruelties of national scope. It uses strategies that are beyond the abilities of local organizations. ...
recommends treating dogs using a mixture of dilute
hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3% ...
(3%), baking soda, and dishwashing liquid.
Skunk spray is composed mainly of three low-molecular-weight
thiol
In organic chemistry, a thiol (; ), or thiol derivative, is any organosulfur compound of the form , where R represents an alkyl or other organic substituent. The functional group itself is referred to as either a thiol group or a sulfhydryl gro ...
compounds, (''E'')-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-methyl-1-butanethiol, and 2-quinolinemethanethiol, as well as
acetate
An acetate is a salt (chemistry), salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with a base (e.g. Alkali metal, alkaline, Alkaline earth metal, earthy, Transition metal, metallic, nonmetallic or radical Radical (chemistry), base). "Acetate" als ...
thioester
In organic chemistry, thioesters are organosulfur compounds with the functional group . They are analogous to carboxylate esters () with the sulfur in the thioester playing the role of the linking oxygen in the carboxylate ester, as implied by t ...
s of these. These compounds are detectable by the human nose at concentrations of only 11.3 parts per billion.
Relations with humans
Bites
It is rare for a healthy skunk to bite a human, though a tame skunk whose scent glands have been removed (usually on behalf of those who will keep it as a pet) may defend itself by biting. There are, however, few recorded incidents of skunks biting humans. Skunk bites in humans can result in infection with the
rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, vi ...
virus (reflecting the virus's
evolutionary strategy
An evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) is a strategy (game theory), strategy (or set of strategies) that is ''impermeable'' when adopted by a population genetics, population in adaptation to a specific environment, that is to say it cannot be di ...
of promoting its own spread). The
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recorded 1,494 cases of rabies in skunks in the United States for the year 2006—about 21.5% of reported cases in all species.
Skunks in fact are less prominent than
raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
s as
vectors of rabies. (However, this varies regionally in the United States, with
raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
s dominating along the
Atlantic coast and the eastern
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
, while skunks instead predominate throughout the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
, including the western Gulf, and in California.)
As pets
![Striped skunk Freddy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Striped_skunk_Freddy.jpg)
''Mephitis mephitis'', the striped skunk, is the most social skunk and the one most commonly
kept as a pet. In the US, skunks can legally be kept as pets in 17 states.
When a skunk is kept as a pet, its scent glands are often surgically removed.
![Pet Albino Skunk on a harness](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Pet_Albino_Skunk_on_a_harness.jpg)
In the UK, skunks can be kept as pets, but the
Animal Welfare Act 2006
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (c 45) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Overview
It is the first signing of pet law since the Protection of Animals Act 1911, which it largely replaced. It also superseded and consolidated more tha ...
made it illegal to remove their scent glands.
See also
*
List of fictional musteloids
The following list of fictional musteloids is subsidiary to the list of fictional animals. This includes weasels, ferrets, minks, otters, martens, skunks, raccoons, and red pandas.
Fictional badgers are instead found within the list of fictio ...
*
Skunk oil
Skunk oil is an oil that is obtained from the two lateral glands that run the length of a skunk's back. Skunks store fat in these glands for use during hibernation or semi-hibernation in warmer climates. Skunk oil has minimal odor.
Uses
Skunk o ...
References
External links
*
Skunks and the management of skunk damage
{{Authority control
Mephitidae
Mammals of Central America
Mammals of North America
Mammals of South America
Aposematic animals
Mammal common names