Summary ²

Striped skunks, Mephitis mephitis, are native to North America and are distributed across the United States and into southern Canada and northern Mexico (1). In California, striped skunks are found throughout the state except in the arid southeastern desert regions (2). They live in almost all North American habitats, excluding deserts; these include wetlands, grasslands, woodlands, brushlands, and suburban and urban areas (1)(3).

Striped skunks have squat bodies, triangular shaped heads, and bushy black and white tails. They have black fur with a white stripe that extends backwards from the head and splits into a “v” shape on the back. Striped skunks are about 45–80 cm long (1.5–2.6 ft) and are a bit larger than the average housecat (1). As opportunistic omnivores, their diet can include insects, eggs, small vertebrates, and plants (2). Striped skunks are preyed on by raptors, cats, and canids, but their defensive mechanism of spraying a distasteful scent often prevents predation (3)(4).

Coal Oil Point Reserve Facts ²

At Coal Oil Point Reserve, striped skunks occupy many diverse habitats, including ​​beach, dune, estuary, dunepond, grassland, coastal scrub, and woodland areas. They are common at the reserve. Striped skunks are one of the top predators of the Western Snowy Plovers, a federally threatened species that is managed at the reserve.

References ²

1. Kiiskila, J. (2014). Mephitis mephitis. Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mephitis_mephitis/
2. Jameson, E. W., Jr., & Peeters, H. J. (2004). Mammals of California (Revised ed.). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
3. Invasive Species Compendium. (2016). Mephitis mephitis. CABI. https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/75675
4. Wade-Smith, J. & Verts, B. J. (1982). Mephitis mephitis. Mammalian Species. 173, 1–7.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Dan Dzurisin, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/ndomer73/4548287441/
2. (c) copr, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

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