The Striped skunk is about the size of a house cat with a pointed head; slightly upturned, nearly spherical nose pad; and beady black eyes. The pelage is entirely black except for a narrow white stripe on the forehead and nose, a white pate leading to two diverging white stripes on the back that extend partly or completely to the rump. Entirely white skunks, or skunks with the black replaced by seal brown or the white replaced by yellow are also know to occur.

Without doubt, the most widely recognized characteristic of the Striped skunk is the pungent odor of the musk that it produces. A muscle-encapsulated gland positioned under the tail produces a liquid that can be expelled.

It occurs in suitable habitats throughout Oregon, except in higher elevations, usually in more open habitats.

Striped skunks tend to be docile and unobtrusive; except during breeding season or when infected with rabies, they are not aggressive or belligerent. In winter they often den communally.

Photo by Thomas Fisk