Species-Specific Management (SSM)

[ HOME | SSM Home | Birds | Mammals | Reptiles | Plants | The Finder | Glossary ]

Striped Skunk

The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is an animal familiar to most people in Virginia. The skunk is beneficial to farmers, gardeners, and landowners because they feed on field mice, other small mammals, and insects that can be pests. In the northern United States, they are an important furbearer. The skunk has some negative values, too. Their smell is unpleasant, and they are a carrier of rabies. (Local information on rabies: click on Office of Epidemiology.) Also, skunks are known to raid poultry farms to eat the eggs. They will damage corn as well.

Despite these negative values, the skunk can be beneficial. If desired, their numbers can be increased by the following:

  1. Denning sites and food abundance are the most limiting factors on skunk populations. If these two factors are managed then a skunk population will increase in numbers.
  2. Skunks use underground dens made by themselves or they use abandoned woodchuck holes. They have been found to prefer hilly or rolling lands for their den sites. They usually den on slopes of 5 to 10 percent. These areas provide good water drainage.
  3. Good vegetative cover is needed around the entrance to the den. Most den entrances have been found underneath fences where plenty of vegetation is found. Also, these sites lessen the chances of the den being destroyed by machinery. The manager needs to provide fencerows within the area to be managed, and the fencerows should be placed on slopes on the contour. These will provide plenty of den sites for the skunks.
  4. There must be a good supply of water in the area. All water sources (streams and ponds) must be preserved and protected. If there is a shortage of water, then some artificial ponds should be made. It will be ideal to have them near the denning sites.
  5. The skunk's diet changes with the seasons. In the spring, mice, snakes, and insect larvae are the preferred food items. In the summer, they feed on grasshoppers, crickets, earthworms, and beetles. In the fall and winter, feeding is on mice, shrews, moles, and chipmunks. Also, fruit is an important food item in the fall. Other food items that will be eaten are the eggs and nestlings of ground-nesting birds, and frogs and crayfish from ponds and streams.
  6. Mice, shrews, and moles are important food items for the skunk. The manager may increase their numbers, especially during the winter season when food is scarce.
  7. It will be good to plant some fruiting shrubs, vines, and trees, especially along the fencerows, where the dens are found. This will provide an additional food source for the skunk.
  8. In addition to preserving the streams and ponds in the area, it will be good to manage for frogs and crayfish. Plenty of structure should be created in the water to provide a good habitat for these animals so that they also will increase in numbers.
  9. Invertebrate populations must not be decreased by the use of insecticides in the area. They are an important summer food source.
  10. Edge is very important to the skunk. They seem to prefer an area with a mixture of woods, brush corners, and open fields broken by wooded ravines and rock outcrops. The manager must take this into consideration when engaging in various land use practices. It will be good to create openings that maximize edge within wooded areas.
  11. The water table must be watched. A high water table is detrimental to skunk populations because of flooding in their underground burrows. This could have a disastrous effect on the skunk population.
  12. Monitor the changes in the population by noting when they are seen (or smelled). Also note their cone-like digging for grubs in the soil. Based on changes observed, you may then change your management program.

A contribution of Stephanie Buresh (1992), Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0321

Techniques when handling skunks for research:

I would highly recommend using a syringe pole, or "jab stick," to drug skunks in cage traps. Light weight darts administered via blowpipe also work very well. The grid size of most "skunk size" cage traps is 1 inch, so most syringes and poles will fit through the grids. Some folks will cut out small sections of grid in various places to offer more maneuverability of the syringe pole.

Suggestions from Dave Purwin, Desert Wildlife Services, Inc.,Tucson, AZ, 520-743-1411 (January, 2004)

Skunk spray wash: antidote from Popular Science magazine (Aug, 1995) developed by Paul Krebaum, a chemist with Molex Inc. It cannot be marketed because there is no way to pre-mix and store it (explosive in a bottle) Having the components on-hand and available for a mix when needed may be a good idea for those working with skunks.

Bathe yourself or pet (when dry - works poorly on wet hair)in a concoction of:

Hair color change will occur if left on the animal.

Also see Dr. William Wood's (a chemical ecologist) comments the chemical compostion of skunk spray. He also has a link on this page on how to remove skunk odor...he also has an explanation as to why many of the other remedies don't work.

References

Godin, A.F. 1982 Striped and hooded skunks Wild Mammals of N. America p. 674-687

Rosatte, R.C. 1987. Striped, spotted, hooded, and hognosed skunks, Furbearers of N. Amer. p. 601-610

Other Resources:
[ HOME | Lasting Forests (Introductions) | Units of Lasting Forests | Ranging | Guidance | Forests | Gamma Theory | Wildlife Law Enforcement Systems | Antler Points | Species-Specific Management (SSM) | Wilderness and Ancient Forests | Appendices | Ideas for Development | Disclaimer]
Quick Access to the Contents of LastingForests.com

This Web site is maintained by R. H. Giles, Jr.
Last revision January 17, 2000.