Skunks are omnivores that feed on anything they can find depending on their habitats and the regions they live in.
Their appetite is found to adore various types of food intakes that are available in your house and the wild. This blog is put forward to cover all sorts of dietary aspects of the skunks.
Your yard can be a food hub for the skunks. Yes, skunks are often attracted to your surroundings through the sense of smell your food disperses into the air.
Scroll down to find out the list of food, skunks like to munch in your yard.
Skunks are nocturnal omnivores and are usually interested in pet food left outdoors.
Skunks can easily be attracted to leftovers meant for the cat or the dog, whether it is dry kibble meant for the cat or wet food meant for the dog left uneaten until the next morning.
Food left in bowls or uncovered in pet areas is especially inviting because skunks are night hunters. So, if you want to avoid the skunks in the yard making a mess, keep it clean.
You should know that these animals are good at rummaging through garbage cans and piles of compost in search of leftovers.
Skunks are especially attracted to garbage with remnants, bottles, packaging material, or compost matter. They can easily find the edibles in the trash due to their well-developed olfactory ability.
Skunks are known to forage around bird feeders, especially when seeds are scattered across the ground. Skunks mainly feed on bird seed since it is packed with calories and nutrients.
They are especially interested in places where the seed has accumulated, as it represents a convenient and readily available food source. Their presence can also discourage birds from coming to feeders.
Skunks are omnivores and will take any chance to feed on fruits that have been dropped on the ground or left for other animals.
These include overripened or rotten fruits that are relatively easy to come by and contain high sugar levels.
Skunks may also be interested in compost piles in which fruit peels are thrown, making them a nuisance to growers of fruiting plants.
Like other pet food, skunks are attracted by cat food placed outside for stray or outside cats. Skunks prefer to feed on cat foods rich in proteins and fats.
They may be lured by bowls of cat food left on porches or in yards usually at night.
Skunks are opportunistic feeders and will raid pet food left out for cats and other domestic animals, resulting in confrontations between skunks and cat owners.
Vegetables that grow in gardens or are left in compost bins will also be eaten by the skunks.
They are especially drawn to vegetables that are spoiling, rotting or have been thrown away. If it comes across them, skunks can dig up root vegetables or munch on leafy greens.
Just like cat food, dog food also has the potential to attract skunks when left outside. Dog food is nutritious and has a high-fat content, therefore it becomes a delicacy for the skunks.
Skunks can become residents if they locate a dependable food supply and thus pose risks to pets and create sanitation problems.
To get rid of skunks from your yard, you should bring the dog food inside and remove any food that may still be left in the bowl.
Skunks are omnivores and they feed on leftovers from meals that take place outside or barbecues for instance.
Skunks are drawn to the scraps of meat, bread, and other edibles, especially those that are exposed to the environment.
Food scraps left on the table should not be left there uncovered as this will attract skunks and other wild animals which results in contaminated yards and high pest incidences.
Sometimes, while in search of food, the skunks may come across bird nests and feast on the eggs.
Due to their high protein content, eggs are regarded as ideal food sources. The raiding of the bird nests by skunks poses a risk to birds in the area as well as creates conflict with wildlife lovers.
Fences or other forms of repellents can be placed around bird nests to ensure that skunks do not have easy access to nests with eggs to prey on.
Food odors particularly in opened or discarded cans attract the skunks. In case the cans are left outside or discarded inappropriately, skunks may find their way and feed on the remaining food.
This scavenging behavior may cause more skunks to come to your compound looking for food and potentially transmitting skunk diseases.
Skunks may also be attracted by cheese that is often used in outdoor eating or celebrations such as birthdays, get-togethers, hangouts, etc. Due to some sort of pungent smell with a high-fat content, cheese can become a good source of food for the skunks.
During picnics or other outdoor functions, it is, therefore, necessary to tidy up, ensuring the cheese and other similar products are stored inside at all times.
In the wild, skunks are free to scavenge whatever foods they choose, but their diet is still greatly influenced by the available foods.
If you are into knowing the skunk diet out in the wild, here are some common skunk foods:
Insects are one of the primary skunk foods in the wild. They like to munch on wild beetles, ants, caterpillars, and so on. The benefits of skunks can be drawn from the fact that around 70% of nuisance insects in the world are likely to get eaten up by the skunks.
Being an important source of proteins that meet skunk’s energy demands, insects that are easily found in various ecosystems are what skunks prefer to eat.
Another important staple in the skunk’s diet is grubs which are simply the larvae of beetles possessing high fat and protein content. These slimy and proteinaceous animals are subterranean dwellers, which makes them suitable for consumption.
This feeding behavior is more pronounced in the wooded and grassy regions mainly where the grubs are abundant.
While skunks primarily consume insects and invertebrates, they also prey on small mammals that are found in the wild.
Small mammals are a valuable source of nutrients for the skunks when food sources become limited or scarce. These mammals are usually preyed on by skunks during the night hunting.
Frogs and salamanders are some of the small animals that skunks hunt and capture using their claws and speed in regions with wetlands or close to ponds.
These animals include the frogs and toads which can be easily hunted and provide the skunks with a protein diet and water.
It is more common for them to consume amphibians, especially during certain seasons when these animals are in their breeding period making them more abundant.
Skunks are omnivorous animals that survive by feeding on carrion or dead animals when they come across them. This is a form of foraging behavior that enables the skunks to exploit the easily accessible food resources as they search for any chance meal.
Carrion consumption ensures that skunks get the nutrients they require to survive and thrive, especially when other food resources are limited.
Skunks consume different types of nuts and seeds including acorns, hickory nuts, and others. These nuts act as a food reserve for fats and protein essential for the sustenance of skunks during the cold months or shortage of food.
With sharp claws and skilled paws, these animals can get to and eat the kinds of hard-shelled meals as that of nuts in wooded and forested regions.
Although skunks like to eat fruits and berries, they are mostly found feeding on the earthworms. Since earthworms are easily found in the soil, skunks rely on their smelling ability to trace the presence of their prey.
It is known that earthworms contain much protein and skunks prefer to eat them because these worms are easily captured and swallowed.
Skunks also feed on other insects such as spiders, and millipedes among other invertebrates while living in the wild. These are other additional food sources that can be gotten from the same locations as those of insects and grubs.
For small animals such as mice, voles, and shrews that are commonly found hiding in leaf litter, under rocks, or in the soil, skunks rely on their olfactory and foraging abilities to hunt.
While the history of skunks tells us they eat almost everything, there are some specific things they just won't look at. These foods have intense odors, tastes, or characteristics that repel them.
Some fruits that skunks typically avoid include oranges, lemons, and grapefruits because of their sour and extremely citrus taste. Skunks usually cannot stand the sour flavor of these fruits and the sharp acidity can affect the digestive system of the animal.
It also provides another advantage of having a repulsive smell to skunks, hence are not likely to be drawn to these fruits.
Skunks do not consume spicy foods because their delicate digestive tracts cannot afford the spices. Seasoning like chili peppers has capsaicin as one of its constituents which produces severe burning sensation and indigestion.
The spicy compound, known as capsaicin, can cause inflammation in the mouth and the gastric lining of skunks resulting in stomach upsets.
Chocolate is considered poisonous for the skunks because it contains theobromine, which is dangerous for all animals.Theobromine is toxic to skunks and may result in such signs as vomiting, diarrhea, increased rate of heart contractions, and, in some instances, seizures and death.
This brings out the fact that chocolates are lethal foods for skunks and other wildlife species.
Skunks are not known to indulge in alcohol as this substance is poisonous to their system. Intoxication, problems with motor coordination, and serious health problems like respiratory depression, or death in skunks, might be drawn because of alcohol.
They are not biologically capable of metabolizing alcohol in their liver and thus would be highly vulnerable to its toxic consequences.
Onion and garlic are prevented by skunks since they contain thiosulfates that are poisonous to many animals.These compounds can be hazardous to skunks’ health and have such negative outcomes as upset digestion, anemia, and impact on red blood cells.
Skunks naturally shy away from these foods as their system experiences significant negative repercussions from thiosulfates.
Skunks are not able to eat rhubarb; particularly its leaves, which contain a toxin known as oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is indeed fatal and has been known to have adverse effects such as affecting kidney function, and stomach ulcers among other complications leading to death.
It would be quite wise to avoid rhubarb as this would help in avoiding certain toxic matters that would have serious effects on the health of skunks.
Caffeinated substances such as coffee and tea are found toxic to the health of skunks. The consumption of such foods may alter their heart rate inducing anxiety and intestinal problems.
Their bodies cannot tolerate the effects of caffeine and therefore, will avoid it to minimize any adverse effects on their health.
Fast foods such as chips, candies, and sweet snacks are not part of the skunk’s diet.
Processed foods do not contain the nutrients required by skunks and may result in obesity and other complications instead. That makes most of these foods unappetizing and could even be poisonous to skunks.
