Skunk facts: not always stinky! | Animal Fact Files

Skunks are well known for their stink, but do you know they try not to use this defense as much as possible? Skunks live in the Americas and are most closely related to stink badgers - no relation to just badgers. Skunks are usually black and white in color, though they can also come in shades of brown or even solid colors. The typical skunk pattern is a type of 'aposematic coloration' which warns predators to stay away!

Scientific Name: Family - Mephitidae
Range: the Americas
Size: a bit smaller than a house cat on average
Diet: fruits, small animals, insects
Lifespan: 5 years old

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Image and Video Credits:
Dale Bohlke -    • Skunk Dance  
Micro Homesteaders -    • Good Afternoon Mam | Skunk vs Groundhog  
Stephen Sela -    • Hooded Skunk  
hikingmal -    • Skunk caught a small animal trail cam...  
Sparkling Gems -    • *Sweet Little Skunk*  
Ostdrossel -    • Nightly visitor - a skunk  

Flickr:
James Gates - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jgates5...
USFWS Midwest Region - https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmi... https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmi...
USFWS Mountain-Prairie - https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmt... https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmt... https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmt...
gardener41 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gardene...
Inao - https://www.flickr.com/photos/inaovas...


Cephas - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...


Danmation - https://vimeo.com/175600006; https://vimeo.com/234762581; https://vimeo.com/235856644
Rob Gonzalez - https://vimeo.com/16486917
William Warrior - https://vimeo.com/399568096
Dave Bonta - https://vimeo.com/783023
Daniel Cross - https://vimeo.com/191815357

Research Credits:
https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRp...
https://www.google.com/books/edition/...
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https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/...
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/is-th...
https://nhpbs.org/wild/mephitidae.asp
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/...
https://www.livescience.com/55151-sku...