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A tame striped skunk. Mephitis mephitis, the striped skunk, is the most social skunk and the one most commonly kept as a pet. In the US, skunks can legally be kept as pets in 17 states. [41] When a skunk is kept as a pet, its scent glands are often surgically removed.
The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is a skunk of the genus Mephitis that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. [3] It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on account of its wide range and ability to adapt to human-modified environments.
Most mephitids are 20–50 cm (8–20 in) long, plus a 10–40 cm (4–16 in) tail, though the pygmy spotted skunk can be as small as 11 cm (4 in) plus a 7 cm (3 in) tail, and some striped skunks can be up to 82 cm (32 in) plus a 40 cm (16 in) tail.
They have black fur with wide white stripes running down their backs, and a thin white stripe on their faces. Striped skunks are the biggest kind of skunk and can weigh up to 14 pounds. Spotted skunks
Striped skunk: Southern Canada, the United States and northern Mexico Mephitis macroura: Hooded skunk: Southwestern United States to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras ...
The diet of the hooded skunk consists mostly of vegetation, especially prickly pear (Opuntia spp.), but it will readily consume insects, small vertebrates, fruit, bird eggs, and human garbage as well. [4] [8] Hooded skunks in Costa Rica utilize their forelimbs to throw bird eggs between their hindlegs, in order to break the eggs open. [8]
The striped skunk is a mesocarnivore species that are located in the United States. Their physical characteristics in size range from 20–25 cm (8–10 inch) from head to body, with a 12–38 cm (5–15 inch) tail. [19] Striped skunks weigh between 200g–6 kg (7 ounces–14 pounds) and have an average lifespan of 3 years.
Mephitidae is a family of mammals comprising the skunks and stink badgers. They are noted for the great development of their anal scent glands , which they use to deter predators. Skunks were formerly classified as a subfamily of the Mustelidae (the weasel family); however, in the 1990s, genetic evidence caused skunks to be treated as a ...