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
✨ Animal Fact Files Patreon Supporters get early access to videos, get their video requests moved to the top of our request list, and more! ✨
👉 https://www.patreon.com/animalfactfiles
You can learn more on:
Twitter – https://twitter.com/animalfactfiles
Facebook – https://facebook.com/animalfactfiles
—
Image and Video Credits:
Dale Bohlke – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOyBNdg9ulA
Micro Homesteaders – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtgsp3YL-6k
Stephen Sela – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfgLhYdnuPc
hikingmal – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9o3uB6hiQQ
Sparkling Gems – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsQ843IIshk
Ostdrossel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11pPc_7pxPs
Flickr:
James Gates – https://www.flickr.com/photos/jgates513/48850291628
USFWS Midwest Region – https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmidwest/17035272948; https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmidwest/19270527901
USFWS Mountain-Prairie – https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/28594104190; https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/28803035811; https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/28878277445
gardener41 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gardener41/5172175718
Inao – https://www.flickr.com/photos/inaovas/4613602631
Cephas – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mephitis_mephitis.ogv
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/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=552336#null
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Biology_and_Identification_of_the_Co/s084DwAAQBAJ
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Nature_Guide_to_Shenandoah_National_Park/rnZBBAAAQBAJ
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mammals_of_North_America/hV3SGxrQntAC
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mammal_Tracks_and_Sign_of_the_Northeast/jMGod3ildYYC
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Animal_Tracks/T29BBAAAQBAJ
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mammalogy/GVy2AgAAQBAJ
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Nature_Guide_to_the_Blue_Ridge_Parkway/jWtBBAAAQBAJ
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mephitidae
https://nhpbs.org/wild/mephitidae.asp
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/mephitidae
https://www.livescience.com/55151-skunks.html
