They have short legs which gives them the appearance of waddling when they walk. They are excellent diggers, are slow-moving and poor climbers. A skunks territory may be as wide as 30-40 acres and they den in shallow burrows or hollow logs. Where urbanization has occurred, skunks have adapted by burrowing beneath buildings, decks, dumps and woodpiles and can dig a burrow a foot underground with well hidden entrances. They like things warm, dry and dark and will pick an area that is also defensible.
Skunks are generally nocturnal and get up and start looking for food around sunset.
They are very sensitive to light and avoid hot, sunny days. They are excellent at keeping the rodent population in check. They will travel 5-10 miles at night searching for food that include those rodents, as well as frogs, crickets, birds, eggs, garbage, acorns, fallen fruit, beetles, larvae and earthworms. They don't maintain defined pathways but they do regularly use the same walk ways and paths between their burrow and their hunting areas. They do not hibernate, but they do take long winter naps.