^ Order CARNIVORA 



:oo close, the scent glands, with nozzles properly focused, go 

 nto action. 



The striped skunk eats whatever suitable food is most readily 

 ivailable. In winter, it feeds on hibernating insects, mice, and 

 fruits. In the warmer seasons, it feeds heavily on berries and 

 ^ther fruits, eggs, insects, mice, and some of the smaller birds 

 md snakes. At any season it may become a carrion eater and 

 probably includes in its diet many animals killed on highways, 

 rhis skunk may den up and sleep during the coldest days of 

 vinter, but it never truly hibernates, as do some of the bats, the 

 ^voodchuck, or the ground squirrels. 



Young of the skunk are born in late spring and number 4 to 

 10 per litter. Within a single litter, they may show much varia- 

 :ion in the amount of white on the back; some may be "blacks" 

 md others "broad stripes." Although the young are blind and 

 lelpless at birth, they grow rapidly and are hunting by July. 



Signs. — The prints of the hind foot of the skunk are each 

 ibout 2y2 inches long and rarely show claw marks; the prints 

 )f the front feet are each about 2 inches long, broad, and fre- 

 luently show claw marks. The track, fig. 35, made by a skunk 

 :raveling at a walk consists of a parallel arrangement of closely 

 »paced footprints on each side; that by a running animal consists 

 )f sets of footprints arranged diagonally across the direction of 

 :ravel, and in each set prints of hind feet are on the outside. 



Droppings are about a half inch in diameter and frequently 

 :ontain insect parts, berry seeds, and fur. Diggings in leaf mold 

 )r soft ground often indicate where a striped skunk has dug out 

 ?rubs or other insects or uncovered a mouse. 



Distribution. — The striped skunk is moderately common in 

 ill counties of Illinois. Two subspecies are present, Mephitis 

 'Hcphitis nigra (Peale & Beauvois) in the southern third and ex- 

 :reme eastern parts of the state and M. m. avia Bangs in the 

 remainder of Illinois. The range of the species includes ap- 

 3roximately the southern half of Canada, the United States 

 (except the southern tip of Florida), and northern Mexico. 



SPILOGALE PUTORIUS (Linnaeus) 



Spotted Skunk Civet Cat 



The spotted skunk is known from adjacent Iowa and Mis- 

 souri, and there is an unreliable 1910 sight record for this ani- 



