Where Skunks tend to live

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Skunks are creatures that have spread to habitats across the country, and have shown a great adaptability that has allowed them to live in urban areas as well as in their traditional rural habitats. In North America they are found in most areas from Northern Mexico all the way up to central Canada, and they can actually change their diet to suit the type of food sources that are available.



Traditional Skunk Dens

The skunks are natural ground dwellers, and they have strong front legs and claws that help them to be excellent diggers, which mean they can take advantage of a ground level opening to build a significant burrow. Skunks will often have several animals living together, so larger dens are not uncommon, and can either be expanded cavities beneath trees or rocks, or burrows that have been entirely dug from the ground by the skunk itself.

Preferred Habitats For Skunks In Rural Areas

Skunks do not like to travel too far, and to have a range that is too large, so you will find that the skunk den will almost always be within a mile of a water source, with the maximum size of the range being around a two mile radius of the den itself. Woodlands are among the most common areas, but as skunks do not have any significant natural predators, they can adapt quite well to living in grass and thick brush areas, and of course urban areas too.

Proportion Of Skunks Living In Urban Areas

As a species, the adaptability of the skunk has often brought them into contact with people, especially because the skunk's foraging skill will often lead them to cut open garbage bags in order to find food, which can cause a fair mess in the process. There are no real studies comparing the proportion of the species living in urban areas compared to rural areas, but there is no doubt that the urban population has been booming over recent decades.

Where Will Skunks Find A Den In Urban Areas?

As skunks are ground dwellers, they will usually find cavities such as those beneath a shed or a porch where they can create a nest. There are also a range of other locations such as unused drains and culverts that provide cover and a dry area that may also be used as a den. For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How much does skunk removal cost? - get the lowdown on prices.
How to get rid of skunks - my main skunk removal info guide.