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Skunk species vary in size from about 15.6 to 37 in (40 to 94 cm) long and in weight from about 1.1 lb (0.50 kg) (spotted skunks) to 18 lb (8.2 kg) (hog-nosed skunks). They have moderately elongated bodies with relatively short, well-muscled legs and long front claws for digging.
The twelve species of Mephitidae are split into four genera: the monotypic Conepatus, hog-nosed skunks; Mephitis, skunks; Mydaus, stink badgers; and Spilogale, spotted skunks. Mephitidae was traditionally a clade within the Mustelidae family, with the stink badgers combined with other badgers within the Melinae genus, but more recent genetic ...
The earliest fossil finds attributable to Mephitis were found in the Broadwater site in Nebraska, dating back to the early Pleistocene less than 1.8 million years ago. By the late Pleistocene (70,000–14,500 years ago), the striped skunk was widely distributed throughout the southern United States, and it expanded northwards and westwards by the Holocene (10,000–4,500 years ago) following ...
A common sign of skunks is the presence of 1 to 3-inch cone-shaped holes all over your lawn where skunks have foraged for grubs and worms. They are nocturnal but will occasionally forage in ...
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 ...
A hog-nosed skunk skeleton on exhibit at the Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The American hog-nosed skunk has stocky legs and plantigrade feet (the entire sole of the foot touches the ground). Its hind feet are broad and large with soles that are naked for about one-half their length.
"Skunk musk is harmless for the most part, but the smell can make some people nauseous," the company's website says. "If you’re sprayed by a skunk, don’t get any of the musk in your eyes ...
Hooded skunks are solitary, but they might interact at a feeding ground without showing any signs of aggression. [11] They shelter in a burrow or a nest of thick plant cover during the day and are active at night. Like M. mephitis, for self-defense, they spray volatile components from their anal glands. [12]