Completed
Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnivorans)
- FamilyMephitidae (Skunks and Stink-badgers)
- GenusMephitis (Striped and Hooded Skunks)
- SpeciesMephitis mephitis (Striped Skunk)
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
11 Verified sightings at Shenandoah National Park From 2019 to 2026
58 In all 7 parks
January Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted
About the Striped Skunk
The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is a skunk of the genus Mephitis that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on account of its wide range and ability to adapt to human-modified environments.
Striped skunks are polygamous omnivores with few natural predators, save for birds of prey. Striped skunks are mostly nocturnal. Like all skunks, they possess highly developed musk-filled scent glands to ward off predators. They have a long history of association with humans, having been trapped and captively bred for their fur and kept as pets. The striped skunk is one of the most recognizable of North America's animals, and is a popular figure in cartoons and children's books.
The striped skunk was first formally named by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber as Viverra mephitis. The type locality is in eastern Canada. The earliest fossil finds attributable to Mephitis were found in the Broadwater site in Nebraska, dating back to the early Pleistocene less than 1.8 million years ago. By the late Pleistocene (70,000–14,500 years ago), the striped... Wikipedia →
Sounds
Recording1:34
United States · 2021
© ajadewitt · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:26
Canada · 2025
kristinpiston · iNaturalist · CC0
Recording0:32
2025
© Saddle Tramp · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of Striped Skunk in Shenandoah National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Shenandoah National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Striped Skunk in Shenandoah National Park?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Skunk sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 14th most-seen of the 17 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Striped Skunk in Shenandoah National Park?
January and July
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Skunk in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–May, August and November–December, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Striped Skunk?
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Striped Skunk sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Is Shenandoah National Park the best place to see a Striped Skunk?
Among the best
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Striped Skunk sightings, Shenandoah National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 10%) and Redwood National Park (United States, about 10%).
Which relatives of the Striped Skunk live in Shenandoah National Park?
Same order: Carnivora
The closest relatives of the Striped Skunk that you can see in Shenandoah National Park (order Carnivora, Carnivorans) are American Black Bear (about 40%), Common Raccoon (about 20%) and Red Fox (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Striped Skunk sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Striped Skunk is recorded against all the mammals logged in Shenandoah National Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
