Brown and White Striped Skunk

About...

Habitat:  Canada and United States, except Alaska

Diet:  Small mammals, insects, birds, eggs, vegetables and plant matter, invertebrates

Life Span:  7 years in the wild – 8/10  years in captivity

Natural Defense: Very offensive odor spray, very sharp claws and teeth

This smelly omnivorous mammal will stand its ground and fight before running away.  The white stripe serves as a signal for any predator to stay away.  The Great Horned Owl is one of the few predators, which is immune to the effects of the spray.  The main predator of skunks is humans.  In spite of the destruction of their habitat due to building, skunks still flourish in the wild.