In this episode, we explore the two species of skunks found in Florida, the striped skunk and the eastern spotted skunk. A mammal that is so unique, it recently divided from a subfamily of the weasel to become its own family, a stinky one! There is a lot to learn about these mysterious creatures. We will explore the species of life history of Florida’s skunks, where you can find them, some fun skunk behavior and more!
New Episode from Naturally Florida
Naturally Florida (a podcast about Florida’s natural areas and the wild things that live here) recently released a new episode about the skunks!
Check it out, below on Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform.
If you enjoyed this episode about Florida’s skunks, please consider sharing it with a friend.
You can find all the podcast platforms where Naturally Florida is published, submit feedback, or request future topics at www.naturallyfloridapodcast.com
Learn More:
- Eastern Spotted Skunk Conservation Plan – Microsoft Word – ESS Conservation Plan July82019 (weebly.com)
- Skunks – https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/mammals/land/skunks/
- Living with Skunks – myfwc.com/media/25513/livingwithskunks.pdf
How You Can Help:
- FWC is interested in collecting carcasses of eastern spotted skunks for future genetic analyses. If you observe a deceased spotted skunk, please email skunks@myfwc.com with the date observed and the location of the specimen.
- You can report spotted skunk sightings online with FWC- https://myfwc.com/news/all-news/skunk-1220/
- You can also document both species of skunks (dead or alive) on iNaturalist – https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations
- If you see a skunk, it is not cause for alarm…don’t call a wildlife trapper, just let it be.
Sources for this Episode:
- Eastern Spotted Skunk Conservation Plan – Microsoft Word – ESS Conservation Plan July82019 (weebly.com)
- Skunks – https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/mammals/land/skunks/
- Eastern Spotted Skunk Cooperative Study Group – https://easternspottedskunk.weebly.com/
Learn about other episodes from Naturally Florida by Clicking Here.
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