mephitis mephitis
Striped Skunk
About Me
Scientific Name: Mephitis mephitis
Description
The Striped skunk is easily recognized by the twin parallel white striped that run along the length of its body, ending at the tail. The rest of the animal is black to further enhance the brightness of this aposematic coloring.
Fun Facts
- Skunks can be either nocturnal or crepuscular depending on the particular habitat and preference of the individual.
- Skunks will maintain eye contact while turning their rears to a threat, and unleash their devastating spray, capable of incredible accuracy over a range of 10 feet!
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Carnivora
The Striped skunk is easily recognized by the twin parallel white striped that run along the length of its body, ending at the tail. The rest of the animal is black to further enhance the brightness of this aposematic coloring.
Skunks are adaptable to the point where they can exist in any number of wild or human-modified biomes. Woodland, grassland, farmland, and even urban environments are all suitable habitats for skunk.
Skunks can be either nocturnal or crepuscular depending on the particular habitat and preference of the individual. As a whole, they are fairly docile animals that tend to ignore the presence of other species around them.
Skunks are omnivores, but when given the chance, they will feed almost exclusively on insects. However, if their favored prey is in short supply, skunks will readily forage for small animals, berries, and even carrion. This generalist diet makes them well-suited to raiding the garbage of human dwellings in their search for food.
Skunks normally mate once a year, after which the female aggressively chases the male away and raises the young on her own. After a 59-77 day gestation, anywhere from 2 to 10 young are born. The mother will protect and nurture the growing younglings, which reach maturity at 10 to 12 months of age.
Their large numbers, vast range, and incredible adaptability make skunks a species of Least Concern under the IUCN.
Our skunk Pepe resides in the Keiki Zoo Barn where he enjoys a strong relationship with his keepers. Although he has been raised by humans, he has also been de-scented as a precautionary measure.
Other Mammals
Sacred Baboons are common throughout northeastern Africa, but are extinct in the Nile region and Egypt, where they originally received their name and were worshiped by the ancient Egyptians.
Bongo are most active at dawn and dusk, and often forage near the edges of wooded areas. They normally shy in the wild and flee into the forest for cover at the slightest provocation.
The North African crested porcupine is nocturnal. They are very adaptable and can be found in forests, on plantations, in rocky or mountainous areas as well as in deserts.
Skunks are adaptable to the point where they can exist in any number of wild or human-modified biomes. Woodland, grassland, farmland, and even urban environments are all suitable habitats for skunk.
Sloths are found in Central and South America in the rain forest canopy. The Linne’s two-toed sloth is found in such countries as Nicaragua, Columbia, Venezuela, Surinam, Guyana, French Guiana, North Central Brazil, and Northern Peru.