Description
Skunks are stout, short-legged animals. They are very distinctive with a long coarse pelage of sharply contrasting black and white patterns. Spotted skunks have 4 to 6 white stripes starting at the head and breaking up into spots near the rump. Both species of skunks have long sturdy claws for digging and possess well-developed musk glands for defense.

Average Size
Spotted skunks, weighing 1 to 4 pounds, are smaller than striped skunks.

Life Expectancy
Approximately 2-6 years

Preferred Habitat
Skunks use a variety of habitat types, preferring woodlands, semi-open farmland, and old abandoned fields. They are often found around farm yards, and their habit of denning under farm buildings and homes causes some problems. In forested areas skunks den in rock piles and under the roots of blown-down trees, or they use their well-developed claws to dig a den in the side of a bank.