# Skunk stripe patterns are fascinating **URL:** \ **Category:** Nature Talk\ **Created:** [October 29, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/skunk-stripe-patterns-are-fascinating/87423 "2026-10-29T14:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wildmaven](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/wildmaven/32/79133_2.png) [@wildmaven](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/wildmaven)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/skunk-stripe-patterns-are-fascinating/87423/1 "2026-10-29T14:48:21Z")
![2026skunks](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/4/f/4fa3dcec5697b18d1298745daaeb79c97c87c98d.jpeg) These are the skunks that have passed in front of my trail camera this year so far. It’s so interesting to see all the variations. The top right and top left are mother and child. The top left one definitely was not blessed in the tail fluff department. The top middle is the largest skunk I’ve seen so far. ---
**Author:** ![gcwarbler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/gcwarbler/32/1787_2.png) [@gcwarbler](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/gcwarbler)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 5:10pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/skunk-stripe-patterns-are-fascinating/87423/2 "2026-10-29T17:10:46Z")
At various times, I’ve tried to tease apart the various individual Striped Skunks which wander past my trail camera (pointed at a bird bath in the back yard). It’s easy to separate the very stripe-divergent individuals, but hard to tell apart the [majority](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=431&taxon_id=41880&user_id=gcwarbler&verifiable=any) which are generally similar. During any given month, I can typically distinguish about 3 to 4 different individual adult skunk patterns (not counting the occasional [brood of youngsters](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124762225) that come by during the summer months) but this may encompass several look-alike individuals. ---
**Author:** ![NuthatchFanatic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/nuthatchfanatic/32/76944_2.png) [@NuthatchFanatic](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/NuthatchFanatic)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 9:18pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/skunk-stripe-patterns-are-fascinating/87423/3 "2026-10-29T21:18:07Z")
Cuties! ❤ ---
**Author:** ![GothHobbit](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/gothhobbit/32/34548_2.png) [@GothHobbit](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/GothHobbit)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2026, 12:33am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/skunk-stripe-patterns-are-fascinating/87423/4 "2026-10-30T00:33:36Z")
Striped Skunks are one of my as-yet unphotographed likes, and very high on my Forbidden Boops list. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![keeana](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/keeana/32/59949_2.png) [@keeana](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/keeana)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2026, 4:58am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/skunk-stripe-patterns-are-fascinating/87423/5 "2026-10-30T04:58:20Z")
their lil feeties!! theyre so cute 😭 ---
**Author:** ![danly](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/danly/32/42066_2.png) [@danly](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/danly)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2026, 1:44pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/skunk-stripe-patterns-are-fascinating/87423/6 "2026-10-30T13:44:02Z")
That’s a _lot_ of skunks! I’ve caught 2 at night with my trail camera: [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/344697455](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/344697455) [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/344697303](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/344697303) and this one crossing my field in broad daylight: [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124140050](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/124140050) They’re gorgeous! But for a while one of them was hanging out under my porch, and prowling around the house odiferously at night, causing me to keep my windows closed. ---
**Author:** ![wildmaven](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/wildmaven/32/79133_2.png) [@wildmaven](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/wildmaven)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 2:57pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/skunk-stripe-patterns-are-fascinating/87423/7 "2026-10-31T14:57:58Z")
I’ve been fortunate enough to have so many really distinctive individuals this year. I even had a new one this morning. ![prettystripe](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/3X/8/0/8012a877ac213d39168c681438b91b383ff4c36e.png) ---
**Author:** ![justineenjoyslife](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/justineenjoyslife/32/48026_2.png) [@justineenjoyslife](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/justineenjoyslife)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/skunk-stripe-patterns-are-fascinating/87423/8 "2026-10-31T16:34:06Z")
So interesting! I really like skunks. A few weeks ago while I was out walking in the dark early morning I saw two different skunks in two yards in my neighborhood (only got photos of one: [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/408255213](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/408255213) And a little over a year ago I captured a photo of this leucistic skunk: [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/270413458](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/270413458) I find it interesting how both of the skunks I observed were so much whiter than most pictures I see. ---
**Author:** ![jnstuart](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/jnstuart/32/1623_2.png) [@jnstuart](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jnstuart)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/skunk-stripe-patterns-are-fascinating/87423/9 "2026-10-31T18:21:09Z")
Interesting, that’s a lot more variation in pattern than I see in our Striped Skunks here in the Southwest US. We’ve also got Hooded, Hog-nosed, and Spotted skunks that can co-ccur in some areas to add to the diversity and that make IDs from camera trap photos occasionally challenging.