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Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
33.2173, -96.7215
Field Notes
Description:
The Striped Skunk is a medium-sized, robust-bodied skunk with a white stripe on either side of its back that extend up over the head and down the sides of its bushy tail. The two large scent glands near the base of their tail produce the skunk's notoriously pungent scent, or musk.
Habitat:
Digging and eating on a hillside beside the road. They eat a varied diet of both plants and animals. Insects form the bulk of their diet, but they also eat reptiles, small mammals, birds, and vegetation.
Notes:
Striped Skunks are largely nocturnal and rarely leave their dens until evening, returning early in the morning. In late fall they become extremely fat. In Texas, they seem more active in winter than in the heat of summer. Skunks are social animals. Several individuals will often occupy a winter den in a good location.
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