Happy Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) Saturday! I met this friendly individual – from afar and thanks to a helpful window – last evening while it was foraging in this yard. The skunk was using its powerful claws and paws to dig through the ground for grubs. All of the heavy rain that has been saturating the earth across the local area and much of the Northeast as a whole has been creating ideal conditions for grubs to come to the surface. This also makes it easier for the skunk to dig into the ground for a tasty treat…many, many tasty treats. Skunks are beneficial creatures to have in your yard (so long as you are not interacting with them, like any wild animal) as they will eat a strong supply of rodents, eliminating pests for the home and vectors for disease. I’ll show you a little encounter this skunk had plus video of it digging away as fast as it could next week.
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
