View source for Skunk

{{Short description|Common name of mammals in the family Mephitidae}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Polecat|Skink}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}

{{Paraphyletic group
| auto = yes
| name = Skunks
| image = Striped Skunk.jpg
| image_caption = [[Striped skunk]]s
| parent = Mephitidae
| includes = ''[[Conepatus]]''<br>
''[[Mephitis (genus)|Mephitis]]''<br>
''[[Spilogale]]''<br>
†''[[Brachyprotoma]]''
| excludes = ''[[Mydaus]]''<br>
†''[[Palaeomephitis]]''<br>
†''[[Promephitis]]''
| range_map         = skunk genera ranges.png
| range_map_caption = Skunk genera ranges
}}
'''Skunks''' are [[mammals]] in the family [[Mephitidae]]. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their [[anal gland]]s. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginger colored, but all have [[Aposematism|warning coloration]].

While related to [[polecat]]s and other members of the [[weasel family]], skunks have as their closest relatives the Old World [[stink badger]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://retrieverman.net/2015/11/01/old-world-skunk/|title=Old World skunk|date=2 November 2015|website=Retrieverman.net|access-date=13 December 2018|archive-date=28 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328010611/https://retrieverman.net/2015/11/01/old-world-skunk/|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==
{{Main|List of mephitids}}
In alphabetical order, the living species of skunks are:<ref>{{MSW3|id=14001521}}</ref>
[[File:Hooded skunk skeleton.JPG|thumb|upright|A hooded skunk [[skeleton]] on display at [[the Museum of Osteology]]]]

* '''Family Mephitidae'''
** Genus: ''[[Conepatus]]''
*** ''Conepatus chinga'' – [[Molina's hog-nosed skunk]]
*** ''Conepatus humboldtii'' – [[Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk]]
*** ''Conepatus leuconotus'' – [[American hog-nosed skunk]]
*** ''Conepatus semistriatus'' – [[striped hog-nosed skunk]]
** Genus: ''[[Mephitis (genus)|Mephitis]]''
*** ''Mephitis macroura'' – [[hooded skunk]]
*** ''Mephitis mephitis'' – [[striped skunk]]
** Genus: ''[[Spilogale]]''
*** ''Spilogale angustifrons'' – [[southern spotted skunk]]
*** ''Spilogale gracilis'' – [[western spotted skunk]]
*** ''Spilogale putorius'' – [[eastern spotted skunk]]
*** ''Spilogale pygmaea'' – [[pygmy spotted skunk]]

== Terminology ==
The word ''skunk'' is dated from the 1630s, adapted from a southern New England [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian language]] (probably [[Abenaki language|Abenaki]]) {{lang|alg|seganku}}, from [[Proto-Algonquian]] {{lang|alg-x-proto|*šeka:kwa}}, from {{lang|alg-x-proto|*šek-}} 'to urinate' + {{lang|alg-x-proto|*-a:kw}} 'fox'.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/skunk |publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary |title=skunk (n.) |access-date=March 18, 2021}}</ref> ''Skunk'' has historic use as an insult, attested from 1841.<ref>{{OEtymD|skunk}}</ref>

In 1634, a skunk was described in ''[[The Jesuit Relations]]'':
{{Blockquote|The other is a low animal, about the size of a little dog or cat. I mention it here, not on account of its excellence, but to make of it a symbol of sin. I have seen three or four of them. It has black fur, quite beautiful and shining; and has upon its back two perfectly white stripes, which join near the neck and tail, making an oval that adds greatly to their grace. The tail is bushy and well furnished with hair, like the tail of a Fox; it carries it curled back like that of a Squirrel. It is more white than black; and, at the first glance, you would say, especially when it walks, that it ought to be called Jupiter's little dog. But it is so stinking and casts so foul an odor, that it is unworthy of being called the dog of Pluto. No sewer ever smelled so bad. I would not have believed it if I had not smelled it myself. Your heart almost fails you when you approach the animal; two have been killed in our court, and several days afterward there was such a dreadful odor throughout our house that we could not endure it. I believe the sin smelled by [[Catherine of Siena|Saint Catherine de Sienne]] must have had the same vile odor.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/relations/relations_06.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011215150426/http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/relations/relations_06.html|archive-date=2001-12-15|title=The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents. Travels and Explorations of the Jesuit Missionaries in New France 1610—1791|editor=Thwaites, Reuben Gold |volume=VI|place=Quebec|year=1633–1634
}}</ref>{{efn|French: L'autre est vn animal basset, de la grandeur des petits chiens, ou d'vn chat ; ie luy donne place icy, non pour son excellence, mais pour en faire vn symbole du peché ; i'en ay veu trois ou quatre. Il est d'vn poil noir assez beau et luisant, il porte sur son dos deux rayes toutes blanches, qui se ioignans vers le col et croche de la queuë, font une ouale qui luy donne tres belle grace ; la queuë est touffuë et bien fournie de poil, comme la queuë d'vn Regnard, il la porte retroussée, comme vn Escurieux, elle est plus blanche que noire : vous diriez à l'œil notamment quand il marche, qu'il meriteroit estre nommé le petit chien de Iupiter ; mais il est si puant, et iette vne odeur si empestée, qu'il est indigne d'estre appellé le chien de Pluton, il n'y a voirie si infecte ; ie ne l'aurois pas creu si ie ne l'auois senty moy mesme, le cœur vous manque quasi quand vous en approchez. On en a tué deux dans nostre court ; plusieurs iours apres il sentoit si mal par tout nostre maison, qu'on n'en pouuoit supporter l'odeur. Ie croy que le peché que sentit saincte Catherine de Sienne, deuoit estre de mesme puanteur.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors=Jesuits | date= 1858 | language=fr| title=Relations des Jésuites contenant ce qui s'est passé de plus remarquable dans les missions des Pères de la Compagnie de Jésus dans la Nouvelle-France | trans-title=The Jesuit Relations, Containing the Most Remarkable Things Which Have Transpired in the Missions of the Fathers of the Society of Jesus in New France| publisher=Augustin Coté|place=Québec | url=http://archive.org/details/relationsdesjs01jesu | page=212}}</ref>}}}}

In Southern United States dialect, the term ''polecat'' is sometimes used as a [[colloquialism|colloquial]] nickname for a skunk,<ref>{{cite web|title=Skunk Fact Sheet|url=https://georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/wrd/pdf/fact-sheets/2005_skunk.pdf|website=The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division|language=en}}</ref> even though [[polecat]]s are only distantly related to skunks.

As a verb, ''[[wikt:skunk#Verb|skunk]]'' is used to describe the act of overwhelmingly defeating an opponent in a game or competition. ''Skunk'' is also used to refer to certain strong-smelling [[Cannabis strain|strains of ''Cannabis'']] whose smell has been compared to that of a skunk's spray.

== Description ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2025}}
Skunk species vary in size from about {{convert|15.6|to|37|in|cm|abbr=on}} long and in weight from about {{convert|1.1|lb|kg|abbr=on}} (spotted skunks) to {{convert|18|lbs|kg|abbr=on}} ([[hog-nosed skunk]]s). They have moderately elongated bodies with relatively short, well-muscled legs and long front [[claw]]s for digging. They have five toes on each foot.

[[File: The back left foot of an albino skunk.jpg|thumb|Back left foot of an albino skunk]]

Although the most common fur color is black and white, some skunks are brown or grey and a few are cream-colored. All skunks are striped, even from birth. They may have a single thick stripe across the back and tail, two thinner stripes, or a series of white spots and broken stripes (in the case of the spotted skunk).

{{anchor|diet}}

==Behavior==
[[File: Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) 01 (cropped).jpg|thumb|A skunk in Ontario, Canada]]

Skunks are [[crepuscular]] and solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their [[Range (biology)|range]], they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day they shelter in burrows, which they can dig with their powerful front claws. For most of the year the normal home range for skunks is {{Convert|0.5 to 2|mi|4=0}} in diameter, with males expanding during breeding season to travel {{Convert|4 to 5|mi|4=0}} per night.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brittingham |first=Margaret |date=June 23, 2006 |title=Skunks - Solutions to Common Problems |url=https://extension.psu.edu/skunks-solutions-to-common-problems#:~:text=The%20normal%20home%20range%20of,to%205%20miles%20each%20night. |website=PennState Extension}}</ref>

Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Striped Skunk {{!}} Adirondack Ecological Center {{!}} SUNY ESF {{!}} College of Environmental Science and Forestry |url=https://www.esf.edu/aec/adks/mammals/striped_skunk.htm |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=www.esf.edu}}</ref> Over winter, multiple females (as many as 12) huddle together; males often den alone. Often, the same winter den is repeatedly used.

Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing, they have poor vision, being unable to see objects more than about {{convert|3|m|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} away, making them vulnerable to [[roadkill|death by road traffic]]. They are short-lived; their lifespan in the wild can reach seven years, with an average of six years.<ref name="UMich">[http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Mephitis_mephitis.html ADW: Mephitis mephitis: INFORMATION]. Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu. Retrieved on 5 April 2012.</ref><ref name="PSU">[http://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/stripedskunk.htm Virtual Nature Trail. Striped Skunk]. The Pennsylvania State University (2002).</ref> In captivity, they may live for up to 10 years.<ref name="UMich"/><ref name="PSU"/>

===Reproduction===

[[File:Female skunk with young.webm|thumb|Female skunk with young]]
[[File:Young skunk.webm|thumb|thumbtime=30|Young skunk foraging in a backyard]]

Skunks mate in early spring and are [[Polygyny in animals|polygynous]] (that is, successful males are uninhibited from mating with additional females).{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}}

Before giving birth (usually in May), the female excavates a den to house her litter of four to seven kits.{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}}

Skunks are [[placenta]]l, with a gestation period of about 66 days.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74118.html|title=Skunks Management Guidelines|website=Ipm.ucdavis.edu}}</ref>

When born, skunk kits are blind and deaf, but already covered by a soft layer of fur. About three weeks after birth, they first open their eyes; the kits are weaned about two months after birth. They generally stay with their mother until they are ready to mate, roughly at one year of age.{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}}

The mother is protective of her kits, spraying at any sign of danger. The male plays no part in raising the young.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eastern Spotted Skunk |url=https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/eastern-spotted-skunk |website=Missouri Department of Conservation |access-date=23 February 2019}}</ref>

===Diet===
Skunks are [[omnivorous]], eating both plant and animal material and changing their diets as the seasons change. They eat insects, [[larva]]e, [[earthworm]]s, [[Beetle#Life cycle|grub]]s, [[rodent]]s, lizards, [[salamander]]s, frogs, snakes, birds, [[Mole (animal)|moles]], and [[egg (biology)|eggs]]. They also commonly eat [[berries]], [[root]]s, [[leaves]], grasses, fungi and [[Nut (fruit)|nuts]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}}

In settled areas, skunks also seek garbage left by humans. Less often, skunks may be found acting as [[scavenger]]s, eating bird and [[rodent]] carcasses left by cats or other animals. Pet owners, particularly those of cats, may experience a skunk finding its way into a garage or basement where pet food is kept. Skunks commonly dig holes in lawns in search of grubs and worms.{{Citation needed|date=August 2025}}

Skunks use their long claws to break apart rotting logs to find insects that live within them. They also use those claws to help dig for insects, which leaves behind pits, which are easy signs of foraging. The claws also help with pinning down live and active prey.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Striped Skunk {{!}} Adirondack Ecological Center {{!}} SUNY ESF {{!}} College of Environmental Science and Forestry |url=https://www.esf.edu/aec/adks/mammals/striped_skunk.htm |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=www.esf.edu}}</ref>

Skunks are one of the primary predators of the [[honeybee]], relying on their thick fur to protect them from stings. The skunk scratches at the front of the [[beehive]] and eats the guard bees that come out to investigate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=April |date=2022-03-08 |title=Do Skunks Eat Bees? (If Yes, Why Do They?) |url=https://explorationsquared.com/do-skunks-eat-bees/ |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=Exploration Squared |language=en-US}}</ref> Mother skunks are known to teach this behavior to their young.

===Spray===
[[File: Skunk about to spray.jpg|left|thumb|[[Striped skunk]] (''Mephitis mephitis'') in a defensive posture with erect and puffed tail, indicating its readiness to spray]]
Skunks are notorious for their anal scent glands, which they can use as a [[Chemical defense|defensive weapon]]. They are similar to, though much more developed than, the glands found in species of the family [[Mustelidae]]. Skunks have two glands, one on each side of the anus. These glands produce the skunk's spray, which is a mixture of [[sulfur]]-containing chemicals such as [[thiol]]s (traditionally called mercaptans), which have an offensive odor. The thiols also make their spray highly flammable.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wildlifeinformer.com/facts-about-skunks/|title=18 Interesting Facts About Skunks|work= Wildlife Informer|date=17 May 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/is-that-skunk-video-skunk-spray-chemistry/4553/|title=Is That Skunk? Skunk Spray Chemistry|work=[[Nature (TV program)|Nature]]|date=24 August 2011 }}</ref>  A skunk's spray is powerful enough to ward off bears and other potential attackers.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.backpacker.com/skills/ask-a-bear-skunk-spray-as-deterrent | title=Ask a Bear: Skunk Spray as Deterrent?| date=4 May 2011}}</ref> [[Muscles]] located next to the scent glands allow them to spray with a high degree of accuracy, as far as {{convert|3|m|sigfig=1|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Skunks: Notorious—or Not?|url=https://www.nwf.org/Home/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2017/April-May/Animals/Skunks |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=National Wildlife Federation |language=en}}</ref> The spray can also cause irritation and even temporary blindness, and is sufficiently powerful to be detected by a human nose up to 5.6 km (3.5 miles) downwind.<ref>{{Cite web |title=19 Stinky Skunk Facts |url=https://factanimal.com/skunk/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=Fact Animal |language=en-GB}}</ref> Their chemical defense is effective, as illustrated by this extract from [[Charles Darwin]]'s 1839 book ''[[The Voyage of the Beagle]]'':

{{Blockquote|We saw also a couple of ''Zorrillos'', or skunks—odious animals, which are far from uncommon. In general appearance, the ''Zorrillo'' resembles a polecat, but it is rather larger and much thicker in proportion. Conscious of its power, it roams by day about the open plain and fears neither dog nor man. If a dog is urged to the attack, its courage is instantly checked by a few drops of the fetid oil, which brings on violent sickness and running at the nose. Whatever is once polluted by it, is forever useless. [[Félix de Azara|Azara]] says the smell can be perceived at a league distance; more than once, when entering the harbour of Monte Video, the wind being offshore, we have perceived the odour onboard the ''Beagle''. Certain it is, that every animal most willingly makes room for the ''Zorrillo''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Darwin |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Darwin |year=1839 |title=Voyage of the Beagle |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3704 |access-date=June 27, 2006 |isbn=0-14-043268-X |publisher=Penguin |location=London, England}}</ref>}}

Skunks carry just enough for five or six successive sprays – about 15 cm<sup>3</sup> – and require up to ten days to produce another supply.<ref>[http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex4663 Biology and Control of Skunks]. Agriculture and Rural Development. Government of Alberta, Canada. 1 June 2002</ref> Their bold black and white [[animal coloration|coloration]] makes their appearance memorable. It is to a skunk's advantage to warn possible [[predator]]s off without expending scent: black and white [[aposematic]] warning coloration aside, threatened skunks will go through an elaborate routine of hisses, foot-stamping, and tail-high [[deimatic behaviour|deimatic]] or threat postures before resorting to spraying. Skunks usually do not spray other skunks, except among males in the mating season. If they fight over den space in autumn, they do so with teeth and claws.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Do Skunks Fight Each Other? |url=http://www.wildlife-removal.com/skunkfight.html#:~:text=In%20some%20situations,%20you%20will,each%20other%20in%20some%20situations. |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=www.wildlife-removal.com}}</ref>

Most [[predator]]s of the Americas, such as [[wolf|wolves]], [[fox]]es, and [[badger]]s, seldom attack skunks, presumably out of fear of being sprayed. The exceptions are reckless predators whose attacks fail once they are sprayed, dogs, and the [[great horned owl]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oregonzoo.org/Cards/BirdsOfPrey/greathornedowl.htm |title=Oregon Zoo Animals: Great Horned Owl |website=Oregonzoo.org |access-date=9 February 2012 |archive-date=19 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319200500/http://www.oregonzoo.org/Cards/BirdsOfPrey/greathornedowl.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> which is the skunk's only regular predator.<ref name=Cornell>{{cite web|title=Great Horned Owl|url=http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_horned_owl/id%7CCornell-|publisher=The Cornell Lab of Ornithology|access-date=21 March 2013|archive-date=5 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705212240/https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_horned_owl/id%7CCornell-|url-status=dead}}</ref> In one case, the remains of 57 [[striped skunk]]s were found in a single great horned owl nest.<ref name=Hunter_Carnivores>{{cite book|last=Hunter|first=Luke|title=Carnivores of the World|year=2011|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]|location=Princeton, NJ|isbn=978-0-691-15228-8}}{{page needed|date=September 2014}}</ref>

==== Mitigation ====
Skunks are common in suburban areas, and domestic dogs are often sprayed by skunks. There are many misconceptions about the removal of skunk odor, including the pervasive idea that [[tomato juice]] will neutralize the odor. These household remedies are ineffective, and only appear to work due to [[olfactory fatigue]].<ref>[http://scienceline.org/2006/07/ask-cosier-skunk/ Is it true that tomato sauce will get rid of the smell of a skunk?]. Scienceline. Retrieved on 5 April 2012.</ref> In 1993,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Forbes |first1=JE |title=The tip of the month |journal=The Probe |date=March 1995 |issue=152 |page=2 |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/17218498.pdf |publisher=National Animal Damage Control Association |location=Hopland, CA |language=en}}</ref> the American chemist Paul Krebaum has developed a formula that chemically neutralizes skunk spray by changing the odor-causing [[thiol]]s into odorless acids,<ref>{{cite web |title=Removing Skunk Odor |url=https://wildlife.unl.edu/pdfs/removing-skunk-odor.pdf |access-date=21 January 2024 |website=University of Nebraska–Lincoln |publisher=UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources}}</ref>  which is endorsed by the [[The Humane Society of the United States|Humane Society of the United States]] for sprayed dogs.<ref>{{cite web |title=What to do when a skunk sprays your dog |url=http://www.humanesociety.org/resources/de-skunking-your-dog |publisher=[[The Humane Society of the United States]]}}</ref> It involves [[hydrogen peroxide]], [[sodium bicarbonate|baking soda]], and [[dish soap|liquid dish soap]].

Skunk spray is composed mainly of three low-molecular-weight thiol compounds, (''E'')-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-methyl-1-butanethiol, and 2-quinolinemethanethiol, as well as [[acetate]] [[thioester]]s of these.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Journal of Chemical Ecology |volume=1 |issue=4 |year=1978 |title=Some Chemical Constituents of the Scent of the Striped Skunk (''Mephitis mephitis'') |author1=Andersen K. K. |author2=Bernstein D. T. |doi=10.1007/BF00988589 |pages=493–499|s2cid=9451251 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=Journal of Chemical Education |volume=55 |issue=3 |year=1978 |title=1-Butanethiol and the Striped Skunk |author1=Andersen K. K. |author2=Bernstein D. T. |doi=10.1021/ed055p159|pages=159–160|bibcode=1978JChEd..55..159A }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=Tetrahedron |volume=38 |issue=13 |year=1982 |title=Chemical Constituents of the Defensive Secretion of the Striped Skunk (''Mephitis mephitis'') |author1=Andersen K. K. |author2=Bernstein D. T. |author3=Caret R. L. |author4=Romanczyk L. J. Jr. |doi=10.1016/0040-4020(82)80046-X |pages=1965–1970}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Wood | first1 = William F.  | year = 1990 | title = New Components in Defensive Secretion of the Striped Skunk, Mephitis mephitis | journal = J. Chemical Ecology | volume = 16 | issue = 6 | pages = 2057–2065 | doi=10.1007/BF01020516| pmid = 24264006 | bibcode = 1990JCEco..16.2057W }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=Journal of Chemical Ecology |volume=28 |issue=9 |year=2002 |title=Volatile Components in Defensive Spray of the Hooded Skunk, ''Mephitis macroura'' |author1=Wood W. F. |author2=Sollers B. G. |author3=Dragoo G. A. |author4=Dragoo J. W. |doi=10.1023/A:1020573404341 |pages=1865–70 |pmid=12449512|bibcode=2002JCEco..28.1865W |s2cid=19217201 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://users.humboldt.edu/wfwood/chemofskunkspray.html |title=Chemistry of Skunk Spray |access-date=27 July 2010 |author=Wood, William F. |publisher=Dept. of Chemistry, [[Humboldt State University]]}}</ref> These compounds are detectable by the human nose at concentrations of only 11.3 parts per billion.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1007/s00897990286a |journal=Chem. Educator |volume=4 |issue=2 |year=1999 |title=The History of Skunk Defensive Secretion Research |author=Wood, William F.  |pages=44–50 |s2cid=94181805 |url=http://chemeducator.org/sbibs/s0004002/spapers/420044ww.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030902091556/http://chemeducator.org/sbibs/s0004002/spapers/420044ww.pdf |archive-date=2 September 2003 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |doi= 10.1084/jem.1.2.323 |last= Aldrich |first=T.B. |title= A chemical study of the secretion of the anal glands of ''mephitis mephitica'' (common skunk), with remarks on the physiological properties of this secretion |journal= J. Exp. Med. |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages= 323–340 |year=1896 |pmid= 19866801 |pmc= 2117909}}</ref>

[[File:SkunkMuskChem.svg|500px|center]]

==  Relations with humans ==
===Bites===
It is rare for a healthy skunk to bite a human, though a tame skunk whose scent glands have been removed (usually on behalf of those who will keep it as a pet) may defend itself by biting. There are, however, a few recorded incidents of skunks biting humans.  Skunk bites in humans can result in infection with the [[rabies]] virus. The [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|Centers for Disease Control (CDC)]] recorded 1,494 cases of rabies in skunks in the United States for the year 2006—about 21.5% of reported cases in all species.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=[[Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association]] | volume=231| issue=4 | year=2007 | title=Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2006 |author1=Blanton J.D. |author2=Hanlon C.A. |author3=Rupprecht C.E. | pages=540–56| doi=10.2460/javma.231.4.540 |pmid=17696853 | pmc=<!--none--> }}; Updated in {{cite journal |pmc=5120391 | pmid=25356711 | doi=10.2460/javma.245.10.1111 | volume=245 | issue=10 | title=Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2013 | year=2014 | journal=J Am Vet Med Assoc | pages=1111–23 |vauthors=Dyer JL, Yager P, Orciari L, Greenberg L, Wallace R, Hanlon CA, Blanton JD }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/docs/rabies_surveillance_us_2006.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080921030119/https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/docs/rabies_surveillance_us_2006.pdf|archive-date=21 September 2008| 
title=Rabies Surveillance US 2006 | 
publisher=[[U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]}}</ref> 
Skunks in fact are less prominent than [[raccoon]]s as [[Vector (epidemiology)|vectors]] of rabies. (However, this varies regionally in the United States, with [[raccoon]]s dominating along the [[Atlantic Northeast|Atlantic coast]] and the eastern [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf of Mexico]], while skunks instead predominate throughout the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]], including the western Gulf, and in California.)

===As pets===
{{Main|Skunks as pets}}
[[File:Striped skunk Freddy.jpg|thumb|A tame striped skunk]]
''Mephitis mephitis'', the striped skunk, is the most social skunk and the one most commonly kept as a pet. In the US, skunks can legally be kept as pets in 17 states.<ref name="PBS">{{cite web |title=Is That Skunk? {{!}} Do Skunks Make Good Pets? |url=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/is-that-skunk-do-skunks-make-good-pets/4569/ |work=PBS |date=20 November 2008}}</ref> When a skunk is kept as a pet, its scent glands are often surgically removed.<ref name="PBS" />
 [[File: Pet Albino Skunk on a harness.jpg|thumb|A pet albino skunk on a walk]]
In the UK, skunks can be kept as pets,<ref>{{cite news |author=<!-- no byline --> |title=A stink in the tale: Why Britain is swooning over the pet with a pong |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/property/house-and-home/pets/features/a-stink-in-the-tale-why-britain-is-swooning-over-the-pet-with-a-pong-2273749.html |work=The Independent |date=23 April 2011}}</ref> but the [[Animal Welfare Act 2006]] made it illegal to remove their scent glands.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2006/pdf/ukpga_20060045_en.pdf |access-date=5 December 2009 |title=Animal Welfare Act 2006}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of fictional musteloids]]
* [[Skunk oil]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{EB1911 poster|Skunk}}
* [http://icwdm.org/handbook/carnivor/Skunks.asp Skunks and the management of skunk damage]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113235150/http://icwdm.org/handbook/carnivor/skunks.asp |date=13 November 2016 }}

{{Carnivora|C.}}
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[[Category:Skunks| ]]
[[Category:Aposematic animals]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Carnivorans of Central America]]
[[Category:Carnivorans of North America]]
[[Category:Carnivorans of South America]]
[[Category:Mammal common names]]
[[Category:Mephitidae]]