Figure 1 by Charles W. Schwartz, The Wild Mammals of Missouri , rev. 1981, University of Missouri Press and Missouri Department of Conservation. The striped skunk is about the size of a large domestic cat, while the spotted skunk is half that size. Spotted skunks are somewhat more active and nervous than striped skunks, and are much better climbers. In many other respects, the two species are similar.
Skunks are usually active from early evening through most of the night.
During the day, they usually sleep in dens, although during the warm months they may bed in vegetation along fence rows or waterways, in hayfields, or in pastures or cropland. Dens are usually below ground but may be in a bank or lumber pile, a stump, a crevice or under a building. During the cold winter months, skunks may remain inactive in their dens for periods of days or weeks. They do not actually hibernate, but do rely on stored body fat to sustain them through the winter. Several skunks may share the same den during winter, thereby conserving body heat.