Photo by Bryan Padron on Unsplash 

Though omnivorous, skunks mostly eat bugs during the warmer months. Skunks are amazingly immune to bee and wasp stings, as well as snake venom. This makes an exotic dinner relatively simple, especially if the skunk can find the hive or den. During winter, when insects are less active, skunks have to find other ways to feed. Their prey ranges from small or young mammals to avian hatchlings to fish. Skunks are opportunistic eaters, so any kind of prey they can find will do.

In between findings of prey, they will snack on greens and corn (which makes up about one fifth or less of their diet).

God designed the claws of a skunk for digging— whether escaping a predator, hunting prey themselves, or creating a nest for their young, they are well-equipped for the task. And while they can dig burrows to live in, sometimes it’s just more efficient to use what’s already there. Abandoned nests or dens from other creatures can serve as great (and often very spacious) places for skunks to sleep during the day. Otherwise, they may use hollow logs or even man-made structures that go unused.

Each winter, skunks - who become sexually mature around 10 months old - find an acceptable suitor and breed. Mothers give birth to the young, called kittens, 60-75 days after mating occurs, and the litter can be anywhere from 2 to 10 babies. Kittens can harness the ability to spray at 8 days old, and their eyes open around 2 weeks after that. They will naturally wean around 6 or 7 weeks old, at which point mom will teach them how to hunt. Once the young are confident in their predatory abilities, they will find a new place to live the rest of their mostly solitary lives (which will be around 7 years in the wild).

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash 

Photo by Elisa Stone on Unsplash 

As natives of North America, skunks have a tenured history with other locals, most notably those made in the image of God. Native American legends portray skunks in different lights - some as stinky tricksters, and some as stoic healers or guides. They also named the animal - the skunks’ name comes from an Algonquin term that is thought to mean “urinating fox”.

Some suggest that Native Americans may have even treated skunks as pets - a practice which may be more common than you think. The surgery to remove their scent glands can be done in conjunction with neutering. Domesticated, they can live for up to a decade. They can be potty trained, bonded with their owner, and very cute.

In popular media, the Animal Crossing video game series features a striped skunk named Kicks who works as a shoe salesman/shiner. Differently from real striped skunks, his ears and nose are pink.