Striped skunk

Skunks eat many kinds of food.

In summer they eat lots of bugs, like beetles and crickets. They also eat mice, eggs and fruit.

Striped skunks are omnivores, which means they eat both animals and plants. In spring and summer they mostly eat insects, such as grasshoppers, crickets, beetles and grubs. They also eat worms, crayfish, mice and voles, frogs, eggs and fish.

When fruit is ripe they eat wild cherries and other fruits, and corn too. Skunks dig up beetle grubs that feed on the roots of lawn grass, so they can help keep those pests in check.

The striped skunk is an opportunistic omnivore whose diet shifts with the seasons. In spring and summer it is mainly insectivorous, taking grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, larvae and even bees, along with earthworms, crayfish and other invertebrates. In winter, small mammals such as voles and the eggs and young of ground-nesting birds become more important.

Amphibians, reptiles, carrion and fish are also eaten, and animal food can make up 80 to 90 percent of the diet. Plant foods include corn, nightshade and fruits such as black cherries and ground cherries. By eating crop and lawn pests, skunks provide insect control that benefits people.

Skunks come out at night.

If a skunk feels scared, it stamps its feet and lifts its tail. That means "Go away!" If you do not go, it may spray a stinky smell.

Striped skunks live alone and come out mostly at night. They are calm animals that usually ignore others, and they would rather walk away from danger than spray.

If something gets too close, a skunk gives a warning. It faces the animal, arches its back, raises its tail and stamps its front feet. If the warning is ignored, it bends its back end around, still facing the animal, and sprays an oily, yellowish liquid that smells terrible and stings the eyes.

Striped skunks are solitary and mainly nocturnal, sometimes active at dusk and dawn. They are generally docile, and spraying is a last resort that follows a threat display: the skunk faces the intruder, arches its back, raises its tail and stamps its forefeet, sometimes charging a few steps or backing away while dragging its front paws.

The musk's strength comes from sulfur compounds called thiols and thioacetates. A skunk that cannot see its pursuer releases a fine cloud the predator must run through; with a target in view, it aims a stream at the face, accurate to about 2 meters, and the spray can reach about 6 meters. In cold regions skunks do not truly hibernate but stay inactive in winter dens, living on stored fat.

There are lots of striped skunks.

They help people by eating bugs. If you see a skunk, stand still or back away slowly. Then it will not feel scared.

Striped skunks are common, and they are not in danger. Scientists list them as Least Concern. Many young skunks do not survive their first year because of harsh weather and disease, and cars and predators such as great horned owls and coyotes also take some.

Skunks and people often share the same neighborhoods. Keeping trash and pet food shut away, giving skunks plenty of space and not blocking a den in late spring or early summer, when it may have babies inside, helps everyone get along.

The IUCN lists Mephitis mephitis as Least Concern (assessed 2015) with a stable population, and the Animal Diversity Web describes it as abundant and not threatened. Mortality is high in the first year from severe weather and infectious disease; predation, parasites, road traffic and hunting add to it. Large birds of prey such as great horned owls and eagles are not deterred by the musk.

Because skunks can carry rabies and other diseases and sometimes dig up lawns or den under buildings, they come into conflict with people. Mass Audubon advises securing garbage and pet food, giving skunks plenty of space, and never trying to shut a skunk out of its den between May and July, when young are likely to be inside.