Mammals · Carnivora · Mustelidae
Ictonyx striatus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
Its name comes from the Spanish zorrillo, "little skunk". It is not related to the true skunks, but convergent evolution has given it an almost identical defence: foul-smelling secretions it sprays at predators.
Weight
600 g – 1.5 kg
Size
60 cm – 70 cm
Life expectancy
10 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
AI-generated images: illustrations, not photographs.
Sources consulted: AnAge · Earthpedia · Dimensions.com · BioDB · Critter Science · Wikipedia · Animalia.bio · Animal Diversity Web
Best time: All year round in sub-Saharan Africa, at night; faced with a threat it raises its tail and sprays a fluid as foul as a skunk's.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 18.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Zorilla — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Based on what we already know about zorilla.
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
