Striped skunk

Scientific name: Mephitis mephitis

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Distinctive black body with two white stripes running from head to rump, plus a white forehead spot and tail tip. Males are noticeably larger and heavier than females; body stocky and low-slung with short legs.

Size and weight

Males 0.6–1.4 kg, females 0.4–0.9 kg; body length 41–53 cm excluding tail (tail 7–40 cm).

Habitat

Striped skunks occupy open to semi-open terrain including grasslands, meadows, agricultural edges, and open woodlands from sea level to moderate elevations. They favour areas with loose soil for denning and proximity to water sources.

Distribution

Found across North America from southern Canada through the continental United States to northern Mexico. Absent from deep forests and high mountains; most common in grasslands and agricultural regions.

Diet

Omnivorous, feeding on grubs, earthworms, and insect larvae year-round, supplemented by small rodents, eggs, carrion, and seasonal berries and vegetation.

Behaviour

Primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, solitary except during mating; slow, deliberate ground movement with characteristic waddling gait. Active foragers that dig extensively; den in burrows or sheltered cavities.

Hunting tips

Look for distinctive digging sign (small conical holes) in soft soil, scat with visible insect remains, and musky odour around active areas. Approach from downwind in open terrain at dusk or night using a light; move slowly to intercept feeding animals. Skunks are deliberate walkers—position yourself along likely routes between denning and foraging areas.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 3 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.