Mephitis mephitis or Striped Skunk Skull, Brain Endocast & Negative Footprint Replicas are museum quality polyurethane resin casts. Made in USA.

The Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is a skunk of the genus Mephitis that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico.

The Striped Skunk is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on account of its wide range and ability to adapt to human-modified environments.

Striped Skunks are polygamous omnivores with few natural predators, save for birds of prey. Like all skunks, they possess highly developed musk-filled scent glands to ward off predators.

Striped Skunk have a long history of association with humans, having been trapped and captively bred for their fur and kept as pets. The striped skunk is one of the most recognizable of North America’s animals.

Alternative English names for the striped skunk include common skunk, Hudsonian skunk, northern skunk, black-tailed skunk and prairie polecat. The latter name was originally used by English settlers, who noted the animal’s similarity to the European polecat.

This association likely resulted in the striped skunk’s subsequent unfavorable reputation as a poultry thief, despite it being a much less destructive animal than the true polecat. The name “Alaska sable” was employed by furriers during the late 19th century.

The Mephitis mephitis or Striped Skunk is polygamous, and normally breeds once a year, though yearling females who have failed to mate may enter a second estrous cycle a month after the first.

The mating season usually occurs between mid-February to mid-April, though it is delayed at higher latitudes.

Prior to copulating, the males’ testicles swell during the January–February period, with maximum size being attained in March. Males during this period will cover much ground in their search for females, sometimes covering 2.5 miles per night.

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