# Hooded skunk (*Mephitis macroura*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/hooded-skunk  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura) is a species in the family Mephitidae, order Carnivora. Recorded adults weigh 717 g to 1.03 kg and live up to 8.73 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 717 g – 1.03 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 8.73 years |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 59.5 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 4.34 |
| Active | Day and night (cathemeral) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Mephitidae
- genus: Mephitis
- species: *Mephitis macroura* Lichtenstein, 1832

## Common questions

### How big is the hooded skunk?

An adult hooded skunk weighs 717 g – 1.03 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

### Is the hooded skunk endangered?

The hooded skunk is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

### How long does the hooded skunk live?

The hooded skunk has a recorded lifespan of 8.73 years.

### How long is the hooded skunk pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 59.5 days.

### What kind of animal is the hooded skunk?

The hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura) belongs to the family Mephitidae in the order Carnivora.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/hooded-skunk