For the month of February, I’ve seen an abnormal number of skunks being hit on the roads here in Virginia compared to any other animal. I was wondering what the reasoning might be.
It’s their mating season. They are becoming more active in search of mates. It always corresponds with Valentine’s Day (kinda).
Edited to remove the line about hibernation. Skunks are not true hibernators.
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Skunks don’t enter true hibernation but they can go into torpor for periods when it’s too cold or there’s too much snow to forage. The striped skunks in my area of the SW US stay pretty much active through the winter. One visits our yard regularly during winter. As they wander further during mating season (around now), many are killed on roads.
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