When people think about skunks the first thing that comes to mind is usually their unpleasant smell. Expelling an extremely pungent odor from their scent glands to protect themselves, is only one of the interesting adaptations of this much maligned mammal.

As omnivores and opportunists, skunks’ diets vary based on season and habitat. Striped skunks (one of four skunk species found in North America) can live in urban, suburban, and rural areas. In the late winter, when they begin to emerge from winter dormancy, they eat nuts and seeds. Last week I saw a skunk in my yard searching for seeds under our birdfeeder. As the snow melts and the ground thaws, they spend more time outside their dens, digging in the soil for larvae such as Japanese beetles, nibbling on green plants and scrounging for carrion. Surprisingly they also hunt for voles and mice. In the spring and summer bird and turtle eggs, grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles become part of their menu. Fall fruits, berries and nuts will help them increase their body weight by about 50% to prepare for winter. Skunks may spend several months sleeping in an underground den, coming out only during warm spells. Several skunks often den together during this time, though the rest of the year they are quite solitary.

Of note, among their dietary options are woolly bear caterpillars, well known for being covered with brown and black bristly hairs. Skunks can pick off the bristles to consume the naked caterpillars. They also will gorge themselves on ground nesting yellow jackets and their larvae, being immune to the impacts of their sting.

Dug up nests, 2” holes in our lawns or tracks in the snow or mud are clues that skunks have been foraging in the area, even if we don’t see them. They do most of their feeding and wandering at night using their keen sense of smell, more than eyesight, to find food. Like many nocturnal animals, they have a mirror-like membrane behind the retina in their eyes which maximizes the use of whatever limited light enters their eyes. Different species reflect various colors from those membranes, providing an identification feature. The “eyeshine” of skunks is an amber color, contrasting with raccoons’ eyes which glow bright yellow, foxes’ are bright white, and opossums’ are dull orange.

Of course, if you see the skunk at night, you’ll likely notice its white stripes standing out against black fur in the dark night. Individual skunks have unique stripe configurations. Stripes can be narrow, wide, or be one broad swath down the middle of the back. However it appears, the white fur is a warning flag that means “Back off!” Hungry wildlife may not be intimidated by that message, so the skunk has a few other threatening behaviors. When in danger, it will turn and face a threat, stomp its front feet, and sometimes hiss. If that doesn’t work, it will turn its back end around and lift its tail. Any predator or curious dog that is still in pursuit will get what it deserves. In extreme cases, a skunk can spray 5 or 6 times before the scent glands are depleted. This is not common, as it will take several days for the glands to refill, rendering the skunk somewhat defenseless in the meantime.

The skunk has two scent glands containing an oily sulfur-alcohol liquid which is expelled as a fine mist when the glands are squeezed by constricting muscles. The liquid can be propelled 12-15 feet with amazing accuracy. Unlike the sleek members of the mustelid family, skunks have this deterrent because they are chunky and move slowly. The mink, weasel, otter, fisher, and marten, can bound, slide or climb to escape predators. Skunks just waddle, not a very effective escape strategy.

An offensive smell doesn’t work against one of the major sources of skunk mortality – speeding vehicles. It is common to see roadkill skunks during March. This is mating season, so males are wandering further afield, often crossing roads, in search of females.

If you are driving at night and see a skunk, give it some space. In addition to saving yourself from a stinky encounter, you’ll be protecting the life on an interesting creature and one with some important roles to play in our ecosystem.

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