striped skunkTux is a domestic bred neutered and de-scented skunk who came to us after his original owner passed away. Unfortunately, like many pet skunks, he arrived grossly overweight and exhibiting some hair loss due to a poor diet consisting of primarily cat food. Though his owner may not have known the proper diet to give him he obviously was used to quite a bit of affection and he loves to sit in your lap and receive lots scratches and rubs.
Instantly recognizable, striped skunks are known for their signature black and white coloration as well as their ability to emit a strong and noxious odor when upset. They are native to the United States and Canada. Skunks are primarily nocturnal and crepuscular and tend to be solitary animals.
Striped skunks are easily identifiable by the two thick white stripes along the back and tail. Like human fingerprints, the specific pattern of the stripes on their head, body and tail can vary among individuals, and is accompanied by a thin, white stripe running from the snout to forehead.
Striped skunks generally weigh up to 13 pounds and have a total length varying between 18 and 32 inches . Males are typically slightly larger than females.
Striped skunks are omnivores. Their diet is in the wild consists of: corn, fruits, grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, bees, small mammals and ground-nesting hatchlings, eggs, amphibians, reptiles and fish.
Tux’s diet at Mandalay Farms is vet directed and consists primarily of Mazuri omnivore chow, leafy greens, vegetables and insects. He occasionally receives eggs, nuts, coconut oil and select fruits as well.
There is a high mortality rate among skunks; many do not survive beyond their first year. Of those that make it to adulthood, they can live an average of 7 years. Skunks reared in captivity live between 10-12 years.
Skunks typically mate in early spring and are polygynous, meaning that males seek to mate with more than one female. Once a female is impregnated, she becomes aggressive towards males.
Striped skunks can experience delayed implantation lasting up to 19 days. They have gestation period of 59 to 77 days. Striped Skunks generally have only one litter per year, consisting of two to ten skunks. Young, called kits or kittens, are born helpless, with eyes opening at about 3 weeks and weaning occurring between 6 to 7 weeks.
When born, skunk kits are blind, deaf, and covered in a soft layer of fur. By eight days, the young’s musk odor can be emitted. By 22 days, their eyes open. Mothers nurse their young for about 2 months. Once they are weaned, the young skunks will follow their mother in a single file line and learn to forage and hunt. Young striped skunks reach sexual maturity at about 10 months.
Generally, they stay with their mother until they are ready to mate at about one year of age. The mother is very protective of her kits and often sprays at any sign of danger. The male plays no part in raising the young.
Striped skunks are solitary, typically docile animals. They often live in the abandoned dens of other mammals during the day, or take up residence in hollowed logs, brush piles or underneath buildings.
Skunks are nocturnal. Tux knows his feeding schedule and does come out to see his keepers occasionally during the day but he is most active at night.
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