Pennsylvania Animals: Skunk

(Mephistis mephistis)

The skunk is a mammal the size of a cat. Its back height is about 8 inches and the bottom of its stomach is about 4 inches off the ground. Its long fur is usually black, with a narrow white stripe on its forehead and a single or sometimes double white stripe running from its head down its back and often onto its tail. It is rather small but it has a powerful stink spray. When skunks are born their stink spraying ability forms quickly. After about month their maximum spraying distance is 4 to 7 meters (13 to 23 feet). But they are most accurate a distance of 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet). If a skunk knows that a predator is following it, it makes a long stink spray that knocks it out or kills it. The skunk predators are the Bobcat and other large animals. The skunk eats small animals, birds' eggs, insects, mice and dead rats. The skunk lives in the northern part of North America. The striped or common skunk is one of the 13 kinds of skunks known throughout North America. The striped skunk is mostly found everywhere in the US, Mexico, and southern Canada. by John

A striped skunk looks like a large cat. The skunk is known to scientists as Mephites mephites. This skunk lives in Pennsylvania almost everywhere. When a skunk is in trouble, it stamps its foot . If the other animal does not move, it sprays a nasty smell. By Brett

PA Animals 96-97

PA Animals 95-96