Skunk young are altricial, born fully furred, toothless and with eyes closed. Average young per litter range from 5.8 to 6.3 animals ( Bailey, 1971). The occurrence of large litters and low embryo mortality demonstrates the potential for large annual increases in populations ( Greenwood and Sargeant, 1994). Populations often exhibit high annual turnover, with high pregnancy rates having been repeatedly reported. In the wild, the mating season typically extends from February to March, although exact timings of breeding can be affected by weather conditions ( Bailey, 1971). Captive male skunks have been reported to be sexually active for a period of 3 to 5 weeks. The gestation period is typically around 63 days ( Verts, 1967). Skunks are polygamous and normally breed once a year ( Bailey, 1971). Managed forests, plantations and orchards Considered both native and introduced in the country Records from the Forest of Dean, supposedly no longer present in the wild kept as pets Previously in the wild, now only kept in captivity as pets If not, you can usually find predator urine for sale at pet stores. If you have a dog, you can try to collect your own dog urine. Skunks are prey to coyotes, and so by association, skunks will often recognize dogs as predators as well. There have been several reports of animals in the Forest of Dean in the UK, but their origin and current status is not known ( Wilson, 2011). There is no purer natural skunk repellent than fear. It is thought that a small population of escaped/released pet animals has established in a Northern Province of the Netherlands (van Belle and Schut, 2010 NOBANIS, 2015), but the population does not seem to have spread to neighbouring Germany or Belgium. Skunks are kept as pets in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the UK ( Parrott et al., 2009 van Belle and Schut, 2010) and likely in many other European countries, although the pet trade is not well documented. Several attempts to release the species into Russia and Ukraine occurred in the 1930s however, the releases were not successful and the animals are no longer thought to be present in these areas ( DAISIE, 2015).

Striped skunks have been expanding their range in mainland Canada and have also been successfully introduced in several parts of Canada, including Prince Edward Island, Vancouver Island and Nova Scotia ( Long, 2003). Widespread across its native range of Southern Canada, USA and Mexico ( Long, 2003), the species is found at highest densities in the central region of the United States ( McCune, 1973).

Skunk predators