# Do Skunks Hibernate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-skunks-hibernate/530471 "2010-02-26T02:18:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-skunks-hibernate/530471/1 "2010-02-26T02:18:05Z")
Recently, we drove past an area that, oddly, smelled of skunk in the dead of winter. This got me to thinking how rare this smell is in wintertime. So, where do the skunks go? Do they hibernate? ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-skunks-hibernate/530471/2 "2010-02-26T02:23:06Z")
You will notice the title of this thread is in Latin… “hiber-ante”! ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-skunks-hibernate/530471/3 "2010-02-26T02:25:52Z")
I’ve seen two of them in the last few weeks - as roadkill, and right in town where one rarely sees any roadkill. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-skunks-hibernate/530471/4 "2010-02-26T02:30:44Z")
Skunks are starting their breeding season, in February. They don’t hibernate, exactly, but hole up in burrows, inactive, coming out rarely to feed (they eat almost anything, maybe they wait for a thaw in the snow). ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-skunks-hibernate/530471/5 "2010-02-26T03:08:50Z")
I guess the same is true of other small animals (rabbit, racoon, opposum) in winter? ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-skunks-hibernate/530471/6 "2010-02-26T03:35:05Z")
My research indicates… Groundhogs do hibernate \*1 Possums don’t \*2 Raccoons don’t \*3 1. according to the book my daughter has been wanting me to read her every night for the past three weeks 2. judging by the two roadkill possums near my work today. The road to work is like an opossum slalom. 3. judging by the pack of raccoons that jumped out of the parking lot trash can at Macdonalds right before I threw something in it last week. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-skunks-hibernate/530471/7 "2010-02-26T11:37:28Z")
I guess, technically, to hibernate means they actually lower their metabolism…I understand. The others must just hunker down and wait it out…mimicking humans. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-skunks-hibernate/530471/8 "2010-02-26T20:42:55Z")
From Wiki: “Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. They often overwinter in a huddle of multiple (as many as twelve) females. Males often den alone. The same winter den is often repeatedly used.” > **[Skunk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk)** > > Conepatus > Mephitis > Spilogale > †Brachyprotoma > Mydaus > †Palaeomephitis > †Promephitis > Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginger colored, but all have warning coloration. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-skunks-hibernate/530471/9 "2010-02-26T21:06:31Z")
That must be adorable!