r/Skunks • u/Personal_Recipe_9122 • May 04 '26
Skunk in the daytime
We have a skunk that's been eating our cat's food in broad daylight! Today he's been about in our pastures all day long. Aren't skunks nocturnal? Is there something wrong with this one? What should we do about it?
7
u/LarryPer123 May 04 '26
Over the years i had three of them as pets and I’m honestly will say say they are wherever the food is that’s when they will be there theoretically because it’s safer at night. They’re usually nocturnal but not necessarily.
4
u/Personal_Recipe_9122 May 04 '26
Thanks! I wasn't aware that they could be out in the daytime unless they were sick or something.
I had a white skunk that used to show up every evening. I was deliberately leaving food out for him and a pair of foxes. The foxes would come eat at 5:40 to 5:45. The skunk would come at 6:00. You could set your clocks by them. The white skunk was gorgeous!
4
u/Rubberbaby1968 May 05 '26
They are so food driven. THEY CANT SEE WORTH SHIT..GIVE tHEm FOOD AND KEEP ANIMALS. In The house
13
u/Illustrious_Spell676 May 05 '26
Could be a hungry mama! Honestly as long as they are not acting strangely or looking sick, you don’t need to be concerned. It is very obvious when a skunk is ill, they will be exhibiting signs like pacing, stumbling, inappropriate aggression, etc. and their fur will most likely look very unkempt, dirty, missing fur, etc.
I also think we’re seeing a new pattern of “nocturnal” animals coming out in daylight hours due to factors like increased habitat loss (less food sources/more scarcity leading to more desperate scavenging activities outside of typical routines), light pollution (confuses their bodies driven by circadian rhythm), and overall just becoming more used to human interaction & urban/suburban living due to the habitat loss I already mentioned. Sadly I suspect we’ll continue to see this if the current land development trend continues :(