Description
Skunks are stout, short-legged animals. They are very distinctive with a long coarse pelage of sharply contrasting black and white patterns. The striped skunk is basically black with two parallel white stripes running up the back and joining at the neck. The amount of white varies among animals with some being entirely black or even entirely white. 

Average Size
Striped skunks stand about 6 inches at the shoulder and weigh from 3 to 8 pounds, with males being 10 to 15 percent larger than females.

Life Expectancy
Approximately 2-4 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.