Striped Skunk

General Information 

Striped skunks are abundant throughout the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. Found in both rural and urban areas, they can make their homes under buildings or in hollowed-out logs. Sometimes they occupy the dens of other animals.  
 
Striped skunks are nocturnal and less active during the winter. They are not true hibernators, but they store up extra fat during the fall to make up for their decreased activity during colder months. Starting in February, they look for mates and start breeding. Litters are born during May and June. By 8 days old, young skunks can emit odor. Male skunks are promiscuous and will mate with many females, while females raise the litter and teach the youngsters to hunt and find food.    

Meet Our Striped Skunks 

Two striped skunks, Iris and Norbert, live in the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden—Presented by KeyBank at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Iris

Iris arrived at the Museum in October 2022. After being caught in a trap, Iris had to have her eye removed and was unable to be released in the wild. She now educates visitors daily on the natural history of her species through the Museum’s classes and educational programs. 

Norbert

Norbert came to the Museum in 2025 after being confiscated from a fur farm and rescued by the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center at Penitentiary Glen Reservation. After his rescue, it was found that Norbert was blind in his right eye and could not safely be released. Norbert now resides behind the scenes in the Wildlife Resource Center but makes regular visits to students during our education programs.  

Lifespan 

Wild: 2–4 years 
In human care: ~10 years 

Fun Facts 

• A striped skunk has two scent glands at the base of its tail. These glands contain a total of 1 tablespoon of a sulfur-containing fluid that the skunk uses to defend itself against predators. A skunk uses this spray as a last defense; it will usually stomp its feet, lift up its rear end and tail, and make a hissing noise before it sprays. Skunks can accurately spray this fluid up to 10 feet. They can usually spray about five times before running out of fluid. The fluid takes about 10 days to regenerate.
• Most species use camouflage as protection from predators. Striped skunks are nocturnal, so their black fur helps them hide or blend in at night, when they are most active. However, the white stripes down their backs cause them to stand out against a black background. Therefore, the purpose of their coloring is not actually camouflage, but to be used as a warning to other animals. When an animal gets sprayed by a skunk, it usually remembers for the rest of its life to stay away from the white-striped animal.
• Striped skunks live on a diet of fruit and vegetables, eggs, insects, larvae, small mammals, fish, and reptiles.
• Striped skunks like eating yellowjackets. Skunks will dig up the yellowjackets' underground nests, then stomp on them and eat them as they escape. Skunks are immune to their venom.