Skunks are omnivores, meaning their diet includes both plant and animal matter. This adaptability allows them to thrive in various environments by utilizing available food sources.
Primary Food Sources
Skunks are opportunistic foragers, consuming a diverse array of foods. Insects form a significant portion of their diet, especially during warmer months. They actively seek out grubs, beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, and various larvae, often digging shallow, cone-shaped holes in lawns to find them.
Beyond insects, skunks prey on small animals like mice, voles, shrews, and moles. They consume bird eggs, nestlings, reptiles such as lizards and small snakes, and amphibians including frogs and salamanders. Plant materials are a regular part of their diet, encompassing fruits like berries, apples, and wild cherries, as well as nuts, seeds, roots, fungi, and grasses. Their diet changes seasonally, relying more on insects and small animals in spring and summer, and shifting to plant matter, fruits, and stored foods as autumn and winter approach.
Dietary Adaptations Around Humans
Skunks adjust their diets when living near human environments. The convenience and high caloric content of human-associated food sources make them attractive, leading them to forage in residential areas.
Common human-related food sources include pet food left outdoors, such as cat or dog kibble, and spilled birdseed from feeders. Skunks frequently scavenge through unsecured garbage cans and compost piles, consuming discarded human food. They may also consume garden produce, including vegetables and fallen fruits.
Foods That Are Harmful or Should Be Avoided
Certain human foods can be harmful to skunks and should not be left accessible. Chocolate, containing theobromine and caffeine, is toxic and can cause severe health issues, including seizures. Onions and garlic can damage a skunk’s red blood cells, leading to anemia, while grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure. Avocados contain persin, a fungicidal toxin detrimental to skunks.
Processed foods high in sugar, salt, or unhealthy fats, and fried foods, offer poor nutritional value and can lead to obesity and other health problems. Moldy or spoiled food is also dangerous. Pet foods, like cat or dog food, are not nutritionally balanced for skunks and can contribute to dietary imbalances and excessive weight gain.
Directly feeding wild skunks is not advised. This practice can lead to dependency on human food sources, habituating them to people and potentially increasing conflicts. To deter skunks from seeking food on properties, secure garbage cans, bring pet food indoors, and promptly clean up fallen fruit.