Skunks do not hibernate, however their breeding season is mid-late February. Out on the prowl for mates is why they seem so active at the end of winter and early spring. Also the young of last season trying to find their place in the world.
Maybe it works that way in Nebraska, but up here......it's different. Agreed, it's not a true state of hibernation but it is a state of "torpor". "Definition of torpor" "1a: a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility b: a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals......." That's as close to true hibernation as you can get. You just don't see skunks out and about for the winter months here.
As a matter of fact, it'll get so cold here that sometimes, when the skunks reappear in the spring, they'll be missing all or part of their tail! You can see them walking down the roadways with stubbed or no tails at all. They must be headed to the nearest retail store.
Fortunately there aren't any porcupine around here or I'm sure he would have had a snout fill of quills
One of my dogs killed a skunk under my car one dark morning. Never heard the boss laugh so loud when I told him I wasn’t coming to work that day. I just drove my truck for a week. Car cleaned itself.
yooperdave for win!! I am pretty sure the breeding season is delayed also.. At least until snow depth is less than a foot. Negative 6 this morning, most sleeping critters still
