Examples of animals that look like skunks include otters, badgers, weasels, marmots, and wolverines.
There are certainly a variety of animals that look like skunks, but not all of them produce the foul smelling liquid that is common among skunks.
Many people often mistake these black and white striped mammals for other creatures, but knowing the differences between these animals can help you better understand their characteristics and habits.
So, which animals are often mistaken for skunks?
Examples of Animals That Look Like Skunks
Examples of Animals That Look Like Skunks
Scientific NameTaxidea taxusmath of AnimalMammalRangeTexas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana
The American badger is a stocky, short-legged animal with a broad body and a long pointed nose.
Badgers are also known to have black and white stripes on their faces, which can cause them to be confused with skunks.
However, the main difference between badgers and skunks is that badgers do not have the ability to spray their predators with a foul smelling liquid.
Scientific NameMartes foinaType of AnimalMammalRangeEurope and Central Asia
The beech weevil is a species of muselid that is widely distributed across Europe and Asia.
These animals are brown or reddish-brown in color with a yellowish or white belly, and have a long, bushy tail.
Although they do not have the typical black and white stripes of skunks, their coloring and general appearance can easily lead to confusion.
3. Ferret-Chinese Badger
3. Ferret-Chinese Badger
Scientific NameMelogale moschataType of AnimalMammalRangeChina, including Hainan Island, and south to Hong Kong and northern Indochina
The Chinese ferret-badger looks strikingly like a skunk, with its black fur and white stripes running down its back.
However, this creature is actually more closely related to weasels and otters than skunks.
Ferret badgers are found in various parts of Asia, including China, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Related Article: What Colors Can Ferrets Be?
Scientific Name Lutra lutraType of AnimalMammalRangeEurope, Asia, and Africa
At first glance, the Eurasian otter may look like a skunk because of its black and white fur.
However, on closer inspection, you will notice that this animal does not have the same coloring pattern as a skunk.
In addition, Eurasian otters do not produce the foul-smelling liquid secreted by skunks.
These creatures are usually found near bodies of water, where they hunt for fish, crabs and other small animals.
Scientific NameMeles melesType of AnimalMammalRange British Isles, Europe, and Scandinavia
The European badger is a member of the mustelid family, which includes weasels, otters, and wolverines.
Badgers are found throughout Europe and Asia, and can grow to around two feet in length.
They are stocky animals with short legs and thick fur.
Their coat is usually gray or black with white stripes on their face.
Like skunks, badgers are nocturnal animals and live in burrows.
Scientific Name Pekania pennanti Species Mother Range North America
Fish cats are often mistaken for skunks because of their black and white fur.
However, fishing cats are actually a type of weasel.
They are much larger than skunks, with some adults weighing up to 30 pounds.
Fish cats also do not have the ability to spray a foul-smelling liquid that skunks do.
Scientific NamePteronura brasiliensis Type AnimalMotherRangeSouth America
The giant otter is a large, semi-aquatic mammal native to South America.
These creatures can grow up to six feet long and weigh up to 70 pounds.
Giant otters are often mistaken for skunks due to their similar coloration.
Scientific NameArctonyx collaris Type of AnimalMammalRangeSoutheast Asia
Also known as the stinking badger, this animal is found in woodlands and forests throughout Southeast Asia.
It has a black and white striped coat, similar to that of a skunk, but lacks the ability to spray its predators with a poisonous liquid.
9. Honey Badger
9. Honey Badger
Scientific NameMellivora capensis Type of AnimalMammalRangesub-Saharan Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and western Asia
The honey badger is a small carnivorous mammal native to Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.
In fact it is a ferocious predator that will eat almost anything it can catch, including snakes, rodents, and even carrion.
Honey badgers are often mistaken for skunks due to their similar black and white coloring.
However, honey badgers lack the distinctive stripes of skunks and have a more rounded body shape.
Additionally, honey badgers do not produce the foul-smelling liquid they are known for.
Scientific NameMeles anakuma Type of AnimalMammalRangeHonshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Shōdoshima
At first glance, the Japanese badger certainly looks like a skunk.
They both have black and white fur, and are about the same size.
However, there are some key differences between these two animals.
For one, Japanese badgers do not have the prominent white stripe that runs down the middle of their backs that badgers do.
Additionally, Japanese badgers live in Asia, while badgers are found throughout North and South America.
Javan Ferret-Badgers
Javan Ferret-Badgers
Scientific NameMelogale orientalisType of AnimalMammalRangeIndonesia
The Javan Ferret-Badger is a member of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, otters, and badgers.
It is the size of a large skunk and has a similar color.
These animals are found in Southeast Asia and spend most of their time in trees.
Scientific NameProcyon lotorType of AnimalMammalRangeNorth America
In fact raccoons are one of the most common animals to be mistaken for skunks.
This is likely because they are both nocturnal animals with black and white markings on their bodies.
Raccoons have much longer tails than skunks, and their front paws are also noticeably different.
Scientific NameMellivora capensis Type of AnimalMammalRanges Sub-Saharan Africa
Ratel, also known as honey badger, are some of the most common animals that are mistaken for skunks.
They are found in Africa and parts of Asia and look very similar to skunks with their black and white fur.
However, rattlesnakes do not have the ability to spray a foul-smelling liquid.
Instead, they release a musky odor from their anal glands as a form of self-defense.
Scientific Name Ailurus fulgens Animal TypeMammalRangeChina, Nepal, and Bhutan
The red panda is a small mammal that is native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.
These animals have reddish-brown fur, and their bodies are similar in size to a domestic cat.
Red pandas are often mistaken for skunks because of their furry tails and black markings on their faces.
However, red pandas do not have the same type of glands that produce the foul smelling fluid that skunks do.
Scientific NameHydrictis maculicollisA type of African Mother Rangeal Animal
The next animal on our list is the spotted otter.
These animals are found in Africa and parts of Asia, and they look a lot like skunks.
They have a long, slender body with short legs, and their fur is mostly black with white spots on their necks.
Like skunks, they also have a long, bushy tail.
One of the main differences between these two animals is that spotted otters do not have the ability to spray a foul-smelling liquid.
They are also much smaller than skunks, measuring only about 3 feet in length.
Scientific Name Mustela eversmaniiType of AnimalMammalArangeCentral and Eastern Europe
The prairie vole is a member of the weasel family and is found in areas of Europe, Asia and Africa.
They have a black and white coat similar in appearance to skunks, but their fur is not as thick.
These animals are also much smaller than skunks, weighing only 1-2 pounds.
Although prairie voles do not produce the foul-smelling liquid that skunks are known for, they do have a musky odor that some people find unpleasant.
Scientific NameMustela ermineaType of AnimalMammalRange North America, Europe and Asia
Skunks are certainly similar to skunks.
They are also black and white in colour, but their stripes are more prominent and they have a long, slender body.
However, one of the main ways to tell these two animals apart is by their tail.
While skunks have a thick, bushy tail, skunks have a much thinner, more rat-like tail.
Additionally, storks are smaller than skunks and their fur is coarser.
Scientific Name Ictonyx striatus Type AnimalMammalRanges Sub-Saharan Africa
The striped flypart is a species of muselid found in Africa.
These animals have black and white stripes that run along their bodies, much like skunks.
However, unlike skunks, striped polecats do not produce the foul smelling liquid.
Sunda Stink Badgers
Sunda Stink Badgers
The Sunda stink badger (Melogale parvula) is a species of muselid native to South East Asia.
Despite its name, it is not closely related to the American or European stink badgers.
It gets its name from the fact that it produces a foul smelling liquid when threatened, much like skunks.
The Sunda stink badger is a small creature, only growing to about 20 inches in length.
He has a black coat with white stripes running down his back.
Scientific NameMustelaType of AnimalMammalRangeTexas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and New Mexico
Weasels are often mistaken for skunks because they share a similar body shape and coloration.
However, weasels do not have the ability to inject their predators with a poisonous liquid.
These slender mammals are actually skilled hunters, preying on small animals such as rodents and birds.
Weasels can be found in North America, Europe and Asia.
Scientific NameGulo guloType from AnimalMammalRangeCanada and Alaska
Another animal that looks like a skunk is the wolverine (Gulo gulo).
Both animals are furry with black and white stripes running down their backs.
However, upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that the wolverine’s stripes are actually more of a blotchy pattern and that the overall shape of their body is different.
Wolverines are also much larger than skunks, weighing around 30 pounds.
Scientific Name Ictonyx striatus Animal Type MotherVariation on the African continent
Zorrila’s are small, brown-black animals with stripes running down their backs.
They are found in South America and are related to skunks.
Like skunks, they can release a foul-smelling liquid from their anal glands when threatened.
There are many animals in the world that look like skunks.
Some of these include otters, badgers, weasels, marmots, and wolverines.
Although they may not spray a smelly liquid to ward off predators or enemies, they still have some characteristics that make them look a lot like skunks.
Living in South Africa I have had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal.