Family MUSTELIDAE 107 



forehead and a white patch on the top of the head. If an indi- 

 vidual has no more white than this, it is classified hy fur dealers 

 and trappers as a "black" or "star." From the white patch, two 

 white stripes may fork and extend a short distance down the 

 back ("short stripe" or "narrow stripe"), or the stripes may 

 extend all the way to the tail and may be joined together 

 ("broad stripe"). The basal half of each hair on the tail is 

 white, the other half black, except that the group of hairs at the 

 tip of the tail may be entirely white. The claws on the front 

 feet are long. 



Length measurements: head and body 15-161/ inches (385- 

 420 mm.) ; tail 7-9 inches (175-230 mm.), over-all 22-26 inches 

 (560-650 mm.), hind foot 21/4-2^ inches (58-70 mm.). 



The over-all length of the skull is 62-80 mm. (2^-3i/^ 

 inches) and the width 40-46 mm. (Ij/-!^ inches). It differs 

 from other carnivore skulls in having on each side only one 

 upper molar, A\hich is more or less square, and two lower 

 molars. The auditory bullae are not greatly enlarged, and the 

 shelf of the bony palate extends no farther than the last upper 

 molars, approximately as in fig. 6\c. Dental formula: I 3/3, 

 C 1/1, Pm 3/3, M 1/2. 



One of the characteristic things about the skunk is the odor of 

 its musk. A yellowish material, composed chiefly of mercaptan, 

 musk is expelled from glands, one on each side of the anus of 

 the skunk. The musk is used by the skunk in defending itself. 



Life History. — The striped skunk usually lives in a burrow 

 or underground den — the modified home of a woodchuck or 

 ground squirrel. It may also live beneath the floor of a barn or 

 shed. This skunk is at home in a multitude of environments: at 

 the edge of woods, in brushy country, along fencerows, near 

 grassy meadows, or around outbuildings; but it seldom strays 

 far from a drainage ditch, creek, or other source of water. 



This skunk normally does its feeding at night, but occasion- 

 ally it may be abroad in the daytime. It is sluggish in its move- 

 ments, and usually it shows little fear of potential enemies, 

 including man. Occasionally it may be seen ambling along in 

 brush or woods in the daytime, fig. 2. It prefers to depend on 

 its defensive scent mechanism rather than on rapid flight. When 

 the skunk encounters an intruder, it first gives a warning by 

 elevating its tail straight as an exclamation mark, pluming out 

 its tail hair, and stamping its front feet. If the intruder comes 



