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Striped Skunk — printable fact sheet
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Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
The striped skunk's defence is chemical, and it is a last resort. The spray is a mixture of sulphur-bearing thiols produced in two glands beside the anus, which the animal aims with real accuracy over several metres. Before firing it gives a graded warning — stamping its front f…
Did you know?
- Striped skunks are important natural pest controllers, consuming large quantities of insects and rodents.
- A skunk carries only a few sprays and needs over a week to reload — which is why it warns first, with stamping and a raised tail. Its black-and-white pattern is a warning signal, not camouflage. Its main predator is the great horned owl, which barely registers the smell because birds smell poorly. Skunks are not mustelids; they have their own family, Mephitidae.
What I learned
Draw the striped skunk
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