A skunk is a black-and-white mammal known for its ability to spray a strong, noxious odor from its anal glands as a defense mechanism. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and are primarily found in the Western Hemisphere. Skunks are carnivores that live in diverse habitats and are mainly nocturnal. The skunk family consists of 4 genera: Mephitis , Conepatus , Spilogale , and Mydaus , and 12 species. The skunk uses warning behaviors like hissing, stamping their front paws, and even performing a handstand before spraying.

What do skunks look like?

Skunks are black-and-white mammals with well-developed scent glands used for defense. Ten of the 12 skunk species live in the Western Hemisphere. Most are about the size of a house cat, but some are significantly smaller. The common striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis , is typically black with a white V down its back and a white bar between its eyes. Spotted skunks ( genus Spilogale ) have interrupted stripes running down their back and sides and are about the size of a tree squirrel. Hog-nosed skunks ( genus Conepatus ) can be larger than striped skunks and have a single solid white stripe on the head, back, and tail in the northern part of their range. Stink badgers ( genus Mydaus ) resemble small hog-nosed skunks with shorter tails.

Where do skunks live?

Skunks, primarily nocturnal mammals, are found mainly in the Western Hemisphere but also in Southeast Asia. They live in diverse habitats, such as deserts, forests, and mountains. Striped skunks are common from central Canada through the United States to northern Mexico. Spotted skunks inhabit regions from southwestern Canada to Costa Rica. Hog-nosed skunks reside in North, Central, and South America, while stink badgers are native to the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Skunks generally spend their time on the ground, but spotted skunks are agile and can climb trees. In colder climates, females may den together.

Skunks are omnivorous mammals with varied diets depending on the species. Striped skunks eat insects, small vertebrates, eggs, and vegetable matter. Hog-nosed skunks and stink badgers use their snouts to find grubs and insects in the soil, but they also eat a variety of other foods. Spotted skunks are the most carnivorous of the skunk species. Because skunks eat insects that are harmful to agriculture, as well as rodents, they are valuable to humans.

How do skunks protect themselves from danger?

Skunks have a highly effective defense mechanism to deter predators: They can spray a potent, noxious liquid from their anal scent glands with great accuracy. Before spraying, skunks often display warning behaviors like standing on their hind paws, hissing loudly, stamping their front paws, or even doing a handstand. The spray contains sulfur compounds, including thiols and thioacetates, which create a strong, persistent odor offensive to many animals. Skunks can spray a fine mist to make a predator run through it or aim a stream at the face of a target up to two meters away.

How are skunks important for their ecosystems?

Skunks play a vital role in their ecosystems, primarily through their dietary habits. As omnivores , they feast on insects, small vertebrates, eggs, and vegetable matter, helping to control populations of potential pests and rodents that can infest farm buildings. Hog-nosed skunks use their elongated snouts to root for grubs and insects in the soil. Additionally, skunks themselves serve as a food source for various predators, including owls , eagles, and coyotes, contributing to the food web.

skunk

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

An eastern spotted skunk, Spilogale putorius, with distinctive black fur and irregular white spots and stripes, walks along a fallen log in a grassy area.

Eastern spotted skunk, Spilogale putorius, with raised bushy tail and bold white stripes and spots on black fur, standing in grassy field in central Minnesota.

A young American hog-nosed skunk, Conepatus leuconotus, with a bushy white tail and black body, stands on rocky ground in front of prickly pear cactus pads.

Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus humboldtii)

Two baby skunks with white stripes stand side by side on a rough, fallen log, with a blurred forest background.

Illustrated chart showing the footprints of eight animals-opossum, skunk, raccoon, red fox, woodchuck, cottontail rabbit, gray squirrel, and muskrat-each with labeled front and hind foot tracks next to a drawing of the animal.

At a Glance

skunk summary

skunk

mammal

Also known as: Mephitidae, polecat

Written by

Jerry Dragoo

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 17, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a skunk?
A skunk is a black-and-white mammal known for its ability to spray a strong, noxious odor from its anal glands as a defense mechanism. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and are primarily found in the Western Hemisphere.

Skunks are carnivores that live in diverse habitats and are mainly nocturnal. The skunk family consists of 4 genera: Mephitis, Conepatus, Spilogale, and Mydaus, and 12 species. The skunk uses warning behaviors like hissing, stamping their front paws, and even performing a handstand before spraying.
2 Britannica Sources
1. skunk: Paleontology and classification
2. Why Do Skunks Spray?
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do skunks look like?
Skunks are black-and-white mammals with well-developed scent glands used for defense. Ten of the 12 skunk species live in the Western Hemisphere. Most are about the size of a house cat, but some are significantly smaller.

The common striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis, is typically black with a white V down its back and a white bar between its eyes. Spotted skunks (genus Spilogale) have interrupted stripes running down their back and sides and are about the size of a tree squirrel. Hog-nosed skunks (genus Conepatus) can be larger than striped skunks and have a single solid white stripe on the head, back, and tail in the northern part of their range. Stink badgers (genus Mydaus) resemble small hog-nosed skunks with shorter tails.
2 Britannica Sources
1. chemoreception: Defensive odors
2. skunk: Scent
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where do skunks live?
Skunks, primarily nocturnal mammals, are found mainly in the Western Hemisphere but also in Southeast Asia. They live in diverse habitats, such as deserts, forests, and mountains.

Striped skunks are common from central Canada through the United States to northern Mexico. Spotted skunks inhabit regions from southwestern Canada to Costa Rica. Hog-nosed skunks reside in North, Central, and South America, while stink badgers are native to the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Skunks generally spend their time on the ground, but spotted skunks are agile and can climb trees. In colder climates, females may den together.
2 Britannica Sources
1. skunk: Natural history
2. skink
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do skunks eat?
Skunks are omnivorous mammals with varied diets depending on the species. Striped skunks eat insects, small vertebrates, eggs, and vegetable matter. Hog-nosed skunks and stink badgers use their snouts to find grubs and insects in the soil, but they also eat a variety of other foods. Spotted skunks are the most carnivorous of the skunk species. Because skunks eat insects that are harmful to agriculture, as well as rodents, they are valuable to humans.
1 Britannica Source
1. skunk: Natural history
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do skunks protect themselves from danger?
Skunks have a highly effective defense mechanism to deter predators: They can spray a potent, noxious liquid from their anal scent glands with great accuracy.

Before spraying, skunks often display warning behaviors like standing on their hind paws, hissing loudly, stamping their front paws, or even doing a handstand. The spray contains sulfur compounds, including thiols and thioacetates, which create a strong, persistent odor offensive to many animals. Skunks can spray a fine mist to make a predator run through it or aim a stream at the face of a target up to two meters away.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How are skunks important for their ecosystems?
Skunks play a vital role in their ecosystems, primarily through their dietary habits. As omnivores, they feast on insects, small vertebrates, eggs, and vegetable matter, helping to control populations of potential pests and rodents that can infest farm buildings. Hog-nosed skunks use their elongated snouts to root for grubs and insects in the soil. Additionally, skunks themselves serve as a food source for various predators, including owls, eagles, and coyotes, contributing to the food web.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

skunk, (family Mephitidae), black-and-white mammal, found primarily in the Western Hemisphere, that uses extremely well-developed scent glands to release a noxious odour in defense. The term skunk, however, refers to more than just the well-known striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). The skunk family is composed of four genera (Mephitis, Conepatus, Spilogale, and Mydaus) and 12 species, 10 of which are found in the Western Hemisphere. Primarily nocturnal, skunks are a diverse group of carnivores that live in a wide variety of habitats, including deserts, forests, and mountains. Most are about the size of a house cat, but some are significantly smaller.

The common striped skunk is found from central Canada southward throughout the United States to northern Mexico. Adults grow to be about 47 to 82 cm (about 18 to 32 inches) long and may weigh up to 6.3 kg (13 pounds). Their fur is typically black with a white V down the back, and they have a white bar between the eyes, as does the rare hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura) of the southwestern United States. In the hooded skunk, stripes are not always present, and white areas on the back are interspersed with black fur, which gives it a gray appearance. The “hood” is the result of long hairs at the back of the neck.

Spotted skunks (genus Spilogale) live from southwestern Canada to Costa Rica. Except for a white spot between the eyes, their spots are actually a series of interrupted stripes running down their back and sides. The spotted skunks are the smallest skunks, about the size of a tree squirrel—except for the pygmy spotted skunk (S. pygmaea), which can fit in a person’s hand.

Some hog-nosed skunks (genus Conepatus) of North America can be larger than striped skunks, but those of Chile and Argentina, such as Humboldt’s hog-nosed skunk (C. humboldtii), are smaller. Adult Humboldt’s hog-nosed skunks reach 50 to 60 cm (19.7 to 23.6 inches) in length and weigh up to 4.5 kg (about 10 pounds). In the northern part of their range, they have a single solid white stripe starting at the top of the head that covers the tail and back. In Central America and South America they have the typical V pattern. Hog-nosed skunks have no markings between the eyes.

In the 1990s stink badgers, or false badgers (genus Mydaus; see badger), became classified as members of the family Mephitidae, and they thus are now considered skunks. Found only in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, they resemble small North American hog-nosed skunks with shorter tails. Their white stripes can be divided, single and narrow, or absent.

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

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Animal Group Names

Scent

Skunk scent comes from anal glands located inside the rectum at the base of the tail. All carnivores have anal scent glands, but they are extremely well-developed in skunks. Each of the two glands has a nipple associated with it, and skunks can aim the spray with highly coordinated muscle control. When a skunk is being chased by a predator but cannot see it, the spray is emitted as an atomized cloud that the pursuer must run through. This usually is enough to deter most predators. When the skunk has a target to focus on, the spray is emitted as a stream directed at the predator’s face. Although accurate to about two metres (more than six feet), its total range is considerably farther.

A skunk will go through a series of threat behaviours before it sprays. Striped and hooded skunks will face an adversary head-on and stamp their front paws, sometimes charging forward a few paces or edging backward while dragging their front paws. When they actually spray, they can simultaneously face their head and tail at the antagonist. Hog-nosed skunks stand up on their hind paws and slam their front paws to the ground while hissing loudly. Spotted skunks perform a handstand and approach predators. Stink badgers snarl, show their teeth, and stamp their forefeet. They also have been observed to feign death, with the anal area directed at the observer. The chemical composition of skunk spray differs among species, but sulfur compounds (thiols and thioacetates) are primarily responsible for its strength.

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