What do skunks eat?

Skunks are famous and one of the most unlike animals due to their spray that they mainly used for their self-defense when they feel they are in danger. People who are interested to know what skunks actually eat they can follow the detail that is given below. Skunks are omnivores, so they eat a variety of things. You may saw those eating small insects, fruits, and plants. They use the food according to the situation and environment and prefer to eat that is easily available. Anyhow, they eat the plants when there is food shortage; otherwise, they like to eat insects and small animals. They can also consume garbage when there is a severe shortage of food, especially in the winter.

What skunks eat?

As we mentioned above, they are omnivores, and they can eat anything that is easy to access. In the summer, when food is in abundance, they eat food as much they can eat to fulfill all the body needs and deficiencies. They also like to prey on small animals; they can trap them with the help of their specific spray. They are very clever and know very well what is easy to prey so they will not attack the animals that are big and can be strong competition for them.

Do Skunks eat small prey?

Although humans do not like to see them in their house due to their bad spraying habit, they can be beneficial for humans in many ways. People who especially have garden and plants they can eat insects and small animals that are dangerous for the garden or can ruin the garden. Almost 70% of their diet based on eating these dangerous insects. So in a way, they can be helpful in removing unwanted animals and insects.



Animals that can become part of their diet are the following:

-Snake
-Cockroaches
-Fish
-Rabbits
-Mice
-Moles
-Rat
-Bees
-Fish
-Other small animals
Although these are the common animals that are mostly prey by many other animals, skunks are found to be major predators of the honeybee.

What does skunk eat in winter?

Unlike other animals, they do not fully hibernate in the winter season and usually came at night from their den in search of food. if possible, they will eat forage for

-Insects
-Frogs
-Eggs
-Snake
-Berries
-Plants
-On need, they can even eat the roots
-Nuts
-Grubs

Do skunks eat a plant?

Yes, as they are omnivores so they can consume plants when there is a shortage of food like insects and other small animals at the time they can eat plants. The food they may eat is given below:

-Corn
-Grapes
-Cherries

Although their favorite food is eating insects, eggs, and small animals, they eat plants and fruits when there is nothing to eat.

What do skunks eat when living in an urban area?

Skunks that lived in urban areas near to homes they may eat insects that they found in the garden or food that is available in the bird feeder. If nothing is available to eat, then they will move to the garbage and will consume it to fill their belly.


Visit our Wildlife Trapper Jasper home page to learn more about us.