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Skunks are mammals that are known for their distinctive
black and white coloring and their offensive odor.
Skunk Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Superfamily: Musteloidea
Family: Mephitidae
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Other Names: Civet Cat and Polecat
Skunk in Foreign Languages:
Bosnian: tvor
Catalan: mofeta
Chickasaw: koni
Chinese Mandarin: chòuyòu
Choctaw: konih
Inezeño: taxama
Obispeño: tqema
Ventureño: taxama
Czech: skunk
Dutch: stinkdier
Esperanto: mefito
Estonian: skunk, vinuk
Finnish: haisunäätä / skunkki
Fox: shekâkwa
French: moufette / putois
German: Stinktier / Skunk
Greek: mefítida
Hebrew: boesh
Hungarian: buzös borz
Indonesian: sigung
Isthmus Zapotec: be'te'
Italian: moffetta
Japanese: sukanku
Kickapoo: sekaakwa
Lakota: maká
Maricopa: milxwe
Natchez: šic
Navajo: gólízhii
Norwegian: skunk / stinkdyr
Ojibwe: zhigaag
Oneida: aní·tas
Pawnee: ríwit
Plains Apache: dookats’i´ltshesá
Polish: skunks
Portuguese: cangambá/ / gambá
Quapaw: ma´ka
Romansch: scunc m
Russian: skuns
Salinan: šowá
Roman: tvor m
Seri: sliitxcoj
Slovene: dihur
Spanish: mofeta / zorro hediondo
/ zorrillo
Swedish: skunk
Taos: kùylulúna
Turkish: kokarca
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Size: Skunks weigh 7 oz to 14 lbs. Male skunks
are larger than the females.
Habitat: Skunks are found in North and South
America. Skunks are highly adaptable. Skunks will live
in a variety of open, scrub, wooded, agricultural, and
developed areas.
Behavior: Skunks are nocturnal.
Senses: Skunks have excellent smell and hearing,
skunks are known to have very poor vision.
Description: While skunks are known for their
bold black and white coloring, different species can
be found in a variety of colors from from black-and-white
to brown or cream colored.
Diet: Skunks eats just about anything including:
eggs, insects, fruits, rodents, dead animals, and more.
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Communication: Skunks communicate through
high-pitched growls and body language.
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Did You Know?
Skunks produce a spray that is an oily
liquid produced by glands under its
large tail.
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Gestation: Skunks carry their young for 7 to
10 weeks.
Birth: Skunks give birth to litters of 4 to
7 kit in a litter. Skunks are born toothless, blind.
After approximately 3 weeks skunks will open their eyes.
Sexually Mature: Skunks are sexually mature
by one year of age.
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Life Span: Skunks typically live about
three years in the wild. Skunks can live up to
10 years in captiviity. Owls, coyote, and wild
cats all prey on skunks.
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Did You Know?
Skunks are able to spray within one
month of their birth.
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Social Structure: Skunks are solitary creatures.
Skunks come together only during the breeding season
and during winter months when they will share a den.
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