Striped skunks are nocturnal, sleeping during the day in underground burrows and emerging around dusk to search for food. They prefer to use existing burrows made by other animals of equal size or natural burrows under tree stumps or buildings. They use their long front claws to build their own den if necessary. Both males and females undergo periods of inactivity from November until March. Females often remain in their winter dens for the entire duration, but males usually emerge during mild temperature periods to feed.
Winter dens usually consist of six females and their young.
Habitat Mephitis mephitis prefers somewhat open areas with a mixture of habitats such as woods, grasslands, and agricultural clearings. They are usually never found further than two miles from a water source. They are also often found in suburban areas because of the abundance of buildings that provide them with burrows. Negative Striped skunks are rarely known to eat crops and raid poultry pens. They are one of the primary reservoirs of sylvatic rabies and thus can be very dangerous to pets and humans.