Mephitis mephitis
Five-toed prints with long front claws — and an unmistakable calling card.
1.5–2 in. Five toes front and hind. Long front claw marks from digging. Flat-footed hind print like a tiny bear. Shallow cone-shaped digs in lawns.
Farmland, suburbs, woodland edges. Most of North America.
Nocturnal
Grubs, insects, eggs, fruit, small rodents
A skunk stamps its front feet as a warning before it ever sprays.
Should I be concerned?
Back away slowly if it stamps or raises its tail. Keep dogs leashed at night.