Skunks are familiar North American mammals, recognizable by their distinct black and white coloration. Their wide distribution, from forests to suburban neighborhoods, often brings them into contact with human environments. This often leads to curiosity about their feeding habits, especially regarding common garden produce and fruit trees. Understanding the natural diet of a skunk provides context for explaining their attraction to human-managed food sources, such as apples.
The Skunk Diet: An Omnivore’s Menu
Skunks are opportunistic omnivores, meaning their diet is highly varied and adapts based on seasonal availability. During the warmer spring and summer months, their diet is heavily focused on animal matter, primarily consisting of insects. They use their forearms and claws to dig for grubs, beetle larvae, crickets, and grasshoppers, which are high in protein and fat.
Beyond insects, skunks consume small rodents like mice and voles, bird eggs, and small reptiles. As seasons transition into fall and winter, their diet shifts more toward plant materials, since insect and small mammal prey become less abundant. This plant-based portion of their diet includes roots, grasses, nuts, and various wild berries.
Apples and Skunks: A Specific Attraction
Skunks show a clear attraction to apples and other sweet fruits when they are readily accessible. This preference is not for fruit on the branch, but for the easy-to-consume fallen fruit on the ground. Apples provide a concentrated source of sugar and moisture, which is highly appealing to an opportunistic forager.
The sweetness of a ripe or overripe apple is a strong olfactory cue that a skunk’s keen sense of smell can detect. This attraction is particularly noticeable in autumn, when fruit is abundant and skunks are actively building fat reserves for the winter. Their diet is diverse enough that apples are simply one of many plant-based food items they will gladly consume if found in their foraging range.
Safety and Consumption Considerations
While skunks eat apples, consuming fallen fruit carries health risks, particularly from the seeds and fermentation. Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside that releases hydrogen cyanide when crushed and metabolized in the digestive system. One or two seeds are unlikely to cause harm, but a significant quantity of chewed seeds could pose a poisoning risk, especially for a small animal.
Fallen apples that have begun to rot pose a danger due to natural fermentation, which produces alcohol. If a skunk consumes a large amount of overly fermented fruit, it can lead to intoxication, disorientation, and illness, although studies on this effect in skunks are rare. A diet too high in sugary foods is not healthy for wildlife, potentially leading to nutritional imbalances and obesity.
Preventing Skunk Foraging in Yards
Homeowners can take steps to reduce the attraction of their yards for skunk foraging. The most direct action is removing all fallen fruit from the ground beneath apple and other fruit trees. Since skunks are attracted to easy, strong-smelling food sources, eliminating this readily available meal is effective.
Beyond fruit, securing other potential food sources will deter skunks from the area. This includes using heavy, tightly lidded garbage cans to prevent access to trash. Additionally, all pet food should be brought inside overnight, as leaving it outside provides another easy and attractive meal for a foraging skunk.