What Do Skunks Live in? (Places Skunk Live In) It prefers to move around and look for more comfortable dens. When rearing their young, the Eastern Spotted Skunk does not occupy a place permanently. They also use areas with tall grass, woodpiles, and places with similar characteristics. They can sometimes be attracted to leftover food, fruit trees, lawn insects, and gardens.Įastern Spotted Skunks make their dens in empty gopher tortoise burrows, armadillo burrows, or brush piles even though they can dig theirs. The Eastern Spotted Skunk also feeds on other insects, grubs, mulberries, grapes, and corn. The Eastern Spotted Skunk is omnivorous, but its diet comprises mainly of small mammals. It also socializes more than other skunks, with several individuals sharing a den during winter. The Eastern Spotted Skunk is more agile and faster than bigger skunks. When approached by an enemy, it does a handstand, points its anal gland at the enemy, and sprays it. Of all skunk species, the Eastern Spotted Skunk remains the only tree climber. Its pelts were once deemed very valuable. The Eastern Spotted Skunk has the silkiest and most attractive fur of all skunks. The Eastern Spotted Skunk is smaller than the Striped skunk. The body of the Eastern Spotted skunk is 11-12.5 inches long without the tail. The tail of the Eastern Spotted skunk is bushy, black & white at the tip and underneath. It also has white stripes behind its eye that continue along the side of its body. The Eastern Spotted skunk has a downward-pointing white triangle on its forehead. It also has white horizontal stripes on its shoulders & neck and vertical & irregular stripes with elongated spots on its side. The coat of the Eastern Spotted skunk is black with several broken-up white stripes. The Eastern Spotted skunk has two subspecies in Florida, but they look similar. Striped skunks are opportunists and can change their diet depending on the resources available. When attacking beehives, they wait for the bees to come out and swat them out of the air, then proceed to eat them. Their diet is 70% insects they even attack colonial insect nests line ants and bees. The Striped skunk is an omnivore and eats several matters, including small birds, bird eggs, insects, leaves, grains, small mammals, carrion, crustaceans, nuts, buds, grasses, and fruits. To communicate visually, they change their posture and raise their fur. It uses scent markings to disclose its reproductive state and presence to other skunks. It sleeps during the day in its underground burrow and comes out at night to forage. The Striped skunk is larger than the Eastern Spotted skunk. Its body length averages about 13-18 inches without the tail but 31.5 inches in total. There may be stripes on its tail, but it often has a mixture of white and black hairs. The Striped skunk has narrow white stripes located at the center of its face, which differ in length and width across individuals. It has broad stripes that cover its body length, although the coloration may vary. The Striped skunk can be recognized easily by its pattern and colors. The Eastern Spotted skunk is regarded as a Species of Great Conservation Need. The Eastern Spotted skunk is of two subspecies: the Appalachian Spotted Skunk and the Florida Spotted Skunk. Species of Skunk in Floridaįlorida is home to two skunk species they are the Eastern Spotted and Striped skunk. The Appalachian Spotted skunk population is declining, and the loss of habitat might be the main reason. Biologists are still yet to pinpoint the exact location. These subspecies are divided by a boundary which is said to be near the Suwannee or Apalachicola Rivers. The Eastern Spotted skunk has two subspecies: the Florida Spotted Skunk and the Appalachian Spotted Skunk. Eastern Spotted skunks can sometimes reside in residential areas. Although, Striped skunks prefer living in areas with big dead trees.Įastern Spotted skunks tend to live in areas with thick shrub cover protecting them from any predators. You can find them in places with open spaces and dense vegetation. They can live in both residential and natural areas. With the Keys being an exception, Striped skunks exist throughout Florida. It fends off predators like coyotes, foxes, domestic dogs, and bobcats. When their spray is aimed at intruders, it can reach as far as 15 feet. But their most preferred choice is an oily musk spray from scent glands located near their anus. These skunks have several means of defending themselves. They have short legs, bushy tails, and a small head. The skunk species found in Florida are about the same size as a regular house cat. As we already mentioned, there are skunks in Florida.
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