LOUISIANA FUR ADVISORY COUNCIL
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Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

Printable Stiped Skunk Trading Card
Striped SkunkSkunks can spray their scent up to ten feet.
Appearance: about the size of domesticated cats (weight of 4 - 10 pounds); distinctive coloration, mostly black with a white stripe that runs from their head, down their neck, and makes a V-shape on their back, continuing to their hind end; bushy black tail

Reproduction: females reproduce once a year, generally breeding between February and April; gestation is 59-77 days; litters range from 2 to 10 young

Food habits: opportunistic feeders; primarily insectivorous in spring and summer; diet also includes amphibians, fish, small mammals, eggs, reptiles, and ground birds along with seeds, fruits, and nuts

Habits: docile, solitary, and primarily nocturnal; use the dens of other animals; if threatened, spray musk when feeling threatened, which can cause the victim to pain and nausea and even temporary blindness 

Striped Skunk Range Map
Distribution: throughout Louisiana, except extreme southeast parishes, and across most of North America, covering most of the United States and the southern regions of Canada

Habitat: woodlands, forests, and grassy plains; have expanded their territories into suburban and farming areas

Controls: vulnerable to large birds of prey, mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, and coyotes

Values: play a key role in insect control; also carry diseases, such as rabies and canine distemper,and parasites, including ticks, fleas, lice, and mites



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Range map credits: Data provided by NatureServe in collaboration with Bruce Patterson, Wes Sechrest, Marcelo Tognelli, Gerardo Ceballos, The Nature Conservancy—Migratory Bird Program, Conservation International—CABS, World Wildlife Fund—US, and Environment Canada—WILDSPACE.

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  • Council
    • Louisiana Fur Council Meeting Schedule
    • Louisiana Fur Council Members
    • Louisiana Fur Annual Reports
  • Industry
    • Louisiana Trapping Regulations
    • Shipping Louisiana Furs
    • Louisiana Fur Dealers
    • Tanning/Manufacturing
  • Trapper Education
    • Trapping Courses & Resources
    • Louisiana Fur & Pelt Handling
    • Nutria Grading
    • Skull Cleaning
    • Trapping Benefits
    • Nutria Meat and Recipes
  • Outreach Education
    • Community Outreach
    • Louisiana Furbearers >
      • Beaver
      • Bobcat
      • Coyote
      • Gray Fox
      • Red Fox
      • Mink
      • Muskrat
      • Nutria
      • Opossum
      • Otter
      • Raccoon
      • Striped Skunk