How do female skunks raise their young?

Female skunks raise their young, known as kits, entirely on their own. After mating, the male is driven away, leaving the female to care for the litter, which typically consists of 2 to 12 offspring.1

These kits are generally born between the end of April and early June. While skunks are solitary animals for most of the year, females may occasionally den together in colder climates. Aside from this, the responsibility of nurturing and protecting the litter falls solely to the mother until the young are independent.1