striped skunk population by state

Habitat: The striped skunk is one of the major carriers of the rabies virus, second only to raccoons in the US where skunks are 25% of annual cases. After spraying, the striped skunk will take the opportunity to run away from the intruder, which will be more interested in dealing with the spray than with the skunk. Now more than ever, we need your support. The width of this stripe and the amount of white on the tail may vary from one skunk to another. Mammalian predators typically avoid skunks, unless they are starving. You may have heard that pelts of the striped skunk once were more valuable than they are in the current fur market. The first emerged from the Texas-Mexico region during the Rancholabrean before the Illinoian glaciation and colonized the southeastern United States. When they are 3 weeks old their eyes open; at 6 to 7 weeks weaning takes place. And now, this skunk group has a few more members. Skunk pelt prices may have doubled from about 1939 through the early 1940s, but they were never as valuable as red fox. A skunk can shoot musk about twelve feet, but will use it as only a last resort, preferring, instead, to bluff an enemy. Skunks are capable of breeding in their first year. A surfeit is the word for a group of skunks. They will hunt with the mother for the first time around 7 weeks and weaning occurs at 8 weeks. Cases of rabies in this species are generally epizootic and recurrent. The striped skunk is abundant in New York and its populations are secure. [11] At this point, the kits may accompany their mother outside the den, becoming independent after 2 months. Although a market still exists, it is not as vigorous as it once was. The Striped Skunk is found in lowlands throughout Washington, preferring relatively open country such as logged lands, old fields, open woods, brushy grassland, forest edges, riparian corridors, and agricultural areas. Striped skunks are omnivores and eat both plants and meat. A skunk is colored black and white. And, contrary to popular opinion, it can discharge when hoisted by the tail. Notice that spotted skunks are smaller, about the size of a large fox squirrel (0.5 to 4 pounds), while striped skunks are about the size of a house cat (5 to 10 pounds). Each year the New York State hunting and trapping regulation guides remind hunters and trappers that the striped skunk is a valuable furbearing resource. The striped skunk has a white stripe that starts at the top of its head, splits at the neck, and extends down each side of its body. [4] The name "Alaska sable" was employed by furriers during the late 19th century. Because striped skunks are abundant, their populations are often susceptible to diseases such as rabies. Striped skunks have black fur with a wide, white stripe from the head all the way down the back on the body. The size of a skunk's home range will vary based on the amount of food and shelter available in the area. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Striped skunks were a staple of the fur trade into the 1950s, but low pelt . Skunks are the primary hosts in the north- and south-central United States as well as in Canada. Their practice of digging leaves small-but-noticeable pits in the ground, which can provide evidence of their presence in an area. Skunks are solitary and typically nonaggressive, and they have not historically been a serious threat to homeowners, agricultural producers and other wildlife. Dogs, foxes, coyotes and bobcats take an occasional skunk, but the skunks potent musk warns off most predators. In colder weather, they may eat voles, young birds, or bird eggs. They are also host for the canine parvovirus and may also suffer from leptospirosis. The skunk will move backwards towards the aggressor while stamping its feet. The Striped Skunk. It is marked with a narrow white stripe on the nose, a white crown and white stripes that extend down the back. Moving a skunk in a box trap is easy if you cover the trap with a dark blanket so the animal can't see you. During the day, they nest in the abandoned dens that other animals have lived in, or in brush piles or hollowed logs, or underneath buildings. [13] The meat was prized by Chinese immigrants, who also bought skunk gall bladders for medicinal purposes. Common Name: Striped Skunk. Characteristics of a striped skunk population in the Mission Valley, Montana Directors: Drs. Striped skunks are solitary, typically docile animals. At birth, striped skunks weigh less than an ounce. Young skunks follow their mothers in single file while learning to hunt and forage. The subclade that colonized the Great Basin later expanded eastwards across the northern Rocky Mountains during the Holocene, recolonising the Great Plains and making contact with the southern phylogroup. Skunk pelts are divided into four grades, with the most prized being the ones with a greater amount of black. Color: Black with two white stripes on its back and tail. [3] It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on account of its wide range and ability to adapt to human-modified environments. Musk can make a predator sick or, if the skunk has been able to direct the substance into the animals eyes, temporarily blind. They have a long history of association with humans, having been trapped and captively bred for their fur and kept as pets. Florida to North Carolina, and in the mountains to West Virginia; west on the Gulf coast to the Mississippi River. Size : Total length: 20-30 inches; tail length: 7-15 inches; weight: 2-11 pounds. They are easily identifiable by the white stripe running from head to tail and each individual has a unique pattern of stripes. Spraying an offending creature typically occurs after a warning display, which involves the skunk stomping its feet and arching its back while raising its tail. Striped skunks may be . [4] Emphasis was placed on selectively breeding the tamest and darkest colored skunks. Size: 18-32 inches long; up to 8 lbs. Population Trends To help assess population trends, we can look at regional furbearer harvest data, methods . If that does not deter the intruder, the striped skunk will bend around while still facing the threat, stand on its front legs, and spray. Until the early 1990s, Minnesota dominated regional harvest. Striped skunks are natives of North America and occur from northern Mexico to southern Canada. Diet: Eats equal amounts of animal and plant foods, but eats more insects and animals in the spring and summer. Female striped skunks typically give birth once each year, with breeding occurring between February and April. Habitat: They occur in a variety of habitats in both rural and urban areas, but tend to prefer forest borders, brushy field corners, fencerows, open grassy fields, rocky outcrops, and agricultural fields. While not truly hibernating, striped skunks experience extended periods of inactivity during winter. [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). They are slightly larger and their scent is not as strong as the Eastern Spotted Skunk's. Description: A medium-sized, stout-bodied mammal with a small head, short legs, and a prominent, bushy tail. Protection and promoting general public awareness of a species is a good way to secure its status. Large, bushy black and white tail. Younger females may bear fewer young and give birth later in the year than older females. This skunk is considerably smaller than striped skunks on the mainland and has softer, glossier fur. Entirely white skunks, or skunks with the black replaced by seal brown or the white replaced by yellow are also know to occur. This happens in early fall because skunks search for cubby holes to spend the winter. The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is the most common skunk in Texas and North America. Immune to snake venom, these animals will eat poisonous snakes such as rattlesnakes. One of the most notable characteristics of this animal is its defense system; striped skunks have the ability to spray a foul smelling fluid from two glands located near the base of the tail. [11] The latter name was originally used by English settlers, who noted the animal's similarity to the European polecat. Like the more glamorous members of the weasel family, the skunk also has glossy and durable fur that can be dyed uniformly black for exquisite garment trimming. The remedy is to close or screen all holes and crawl spaces, and to keep dogs confined. Instantly recognizable, striped skunks are known for their signature coloration and for their ability to emit a strong and pungent odor when upset. Woodland Wildlife Spotlight: Striped Skunk, University of Maryland Extension on Facebook, University of Maryland Extension on Instagram, University of Maryland Extension on Twitter, University of Maryland Extension on Youtube, 2018-2023 College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect, instructions for how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Western Canada, from Manitoba to British Columbia; south in the United States to Colorado, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Skunks live in a variety of habitats. By November, young of the year are as large as adults. They prefer open areas, with abundant populations observed on agricultural lands. It typically has a broad patch on the back of its head, and a V-shaped mark over its shoulders, which forms stripes that continue along the animals back and often unite at the base of its tail. They have a long history of association with humans, having been trapped and captively bred for their fur[4] and kept as pets. Field guides refer to the musk as highly repellent to all mammals. In short, it stinks. Skunks are nocturnal solitary animals and forage and hunt in the evening. [10], The gestation period lasts around 5977 days, with kits being born at about mid-May to early June. Of the 3 skunks that underwent necropsy on 3 dpi, 2 had infectious virus in the turbinates but not in other tissues tested. The type locality is in eastern Canada. Come spring, striped skunk males will mate with several females during late February through early March. Variations include striping patterns and coloration; some striped skunks may be cream-colored with no visible striping. Total length averaged 23.1 (586 mm), ranging from 17.6 to 25 (447-635 mm) in the Eastern United States, and ranged from 21.3 to 29.5 (540-750 mm) in Wisconsin. Kits are born blind and sparsely furred, weighing 2540grams. Black body, narrow white stripe on middle of the forehead, broad white area on nape that usually divides into a V at the shoulders. The value of each pixel in the map is an estimate of the species probability of occurrence. [13], The striped skunk is a stoutly-built, short-limbed animal with a small, conical head and a long, heavily furred tail. By the late Pleistocene (70,00014,500 years ago), the striped skunk was widely distributed throughout the southern United States, and it expanded northwards and westwards by the Holocene (10,0004,500 years ago) following the retreat of the Wisconsin glacier. The Great Horned Owl is the chief predator of skunks; the skunk's odor does not seem to deter them. Its scientific name, mephitis, in Latin means bad odor. They are slightly larger and their scent is not as strong as the Eastern Spotted Skunk's. As members of the weasel family Mustelidae, they share the characteristics of a musky odor and well-developed scent glands. A female will sometimes breed for a second time in May, later in the spring, if she has lost her first litter, or she experienced a pseudopregnancy. In fall and winter, skunks eat fruit such as wild grapes and cherries; small mammals such as moles, mice, voles and shrews; plant items such as grasses, leaves and buds; mast and carrion. But the omnivorous striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)New England's only native [7][2], The earliest fossil finds attributable to Mephitis were found in the Broadwater site in Nebraska, dating back to the early Pleistocene less than 1.8million years ago. Sexes are colored and marked alike. & Verts, B. J. Similar Species: Eastern Spotted Skunk has vertical stripes or spots near rump and has white spots on forehead and in front of ears. Description. Striped skunks are largely nocturnal, medium-sized omnivores in the weasel family (Mustelidae). Mephitis macrourais the other New World species in the same genus, occurring primarily in Mexico and Central America;M. mephitisandM. macrouraranges overlap along a narrow strip of the U.S.-Mexico border in the southwest U.S., into northern Mexico. [2] Like all skunks, they possess highly developed musk-filled scent glands to ward off predators. Their body temperature remains near normal. Eastern spotted skunk [20] While not adapted for chasing fleet-footed prey, at least one specimen was observed pursuing gray cottontails into their burrows. A free roaming dog often aggravates the situation by chasing the prowling skunk. Printable Striped Skunk Wildlife Note (PDF). 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