A Group Defense Incident Involving Juvenile Striped Skunks, Mephitis mephitis

Authors

  • Jeffery T. Wilcox Blue Oak Ranch Reserve, University of California, Berkeley, 23100 Alum Rock Falls Road, San Jose, California 95127
  • Brendan N. Larsen 21181 Alum Rock Falls Road, San Jose, California 95127

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v122i1.552

Keywords:

Striped Skunk, Mephitis mephitis, group defense, aposematic, noxious

Abstract

Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) occasionally fall prey to various predators. To reduce the risk of predation, Striped Skunks have evolved multiple defensive behaviors and aposematic coloration. Several types of defensive behaviors have been reported for individual Striped Skunks, but never for a group of skunks. We describe a group defense incident in an encounter between four juvenile Striped Skunks and a perceived predator—a man on a motorcycle.

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Issue

Vol. 122 No. 1 (2008)

Section

Notes

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