Animals that look like skunks include otters, badgers, weasels, martens, and wolverines.
There are certainly many animals that look like skunks, but not all of them produce the foul-smelling liquid common among skunks.
Many people often mistake other creatures for these black and white striped mammals, but knowing the differences between these animals will help you better understand their characteristics and habits.
So, what animals are commonly mistaken for skunks?
Examples of animals that look like skunks
Examples of animals that look like skunks
Scientific name Taxidea taxus Animal type Mammal range Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana
The American badger is a stout, short-legged animal with a wide body and a long, pointed nose.
Badgers are also known to have black and white stripes on their faces, so they can 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 smelly liquid.
Scientific name Martes foina Animal type Mammal range Europe and Central Asia
The beech marten is a mustelid species that is widespread throughout Europe and Asia.
These animals are brown or reddish-brown in color, have a yellowish or white belly, and have a long bushy tail.
Although they lack the characteristic black and white stripes of skunks, their coloration and general appearance can easily cause confusion.
3. Chinese ferret-badger
3. Chinese ferret-badger
Scientific name Melogale moschata Type of animal Mammal Range China, including Hainan Island and south to Hong Kong and northern Indochina
The Chinese ferret-badger looks strikingly similar to a skunk, with black fur and white stripes down its back.
However, this creature is actually more closely related to weasels and otters than to skunks.
Ferret badgers are found in various parts of Asia, including China, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Related article: What color can ferrets be?
Scientific name Lutra lutra Animal type Mammal range Europe, Asia and Africa
At first glance, the Eurasian otter may look like a skunk because of its black and white fur.
But upon closer inspection, you will notice that this animal does not have the same color pattern as the skunk.
In addition, Eurasian otters do not produce the foul-smelling liquid that skunks secrete.
These creatures are usually found near bodies of water where they hunt fish, crabs and other small animals.
Scientific name Meles meles Animal type Mammal range British Isles, Europe and Scandinavia
The European badger belongs to the gypsy family, which includes the weasel, otter and wolverine.
Badgers are found throughout Europe and Asia and can grow to about two feet in length.
They are stocky animals with short legs and thick fur.
Their fur is usually gray or black, with white stripes on their faces.
Like skunks, badgers are nocturnal and live in burrows.
Scientific name Pekania pennant Animal mammal range type North America
Fisher cats are often mistaken for skunks because of their black and white fur.
But fish cats are actually weasels.
They are much larger than skunks, with some adults weighing up to 30 pounds.
Fisher cats also do not have the ability to spray a smelly liquid like skunks.
Scientific name Pteronura brasiliensis Animal type Mammal range South 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 coloring.
Scientific name Arctonyx collaris Animal type Mammal range Southeast Asia
Also known as the Greater Stink Badger, this animal is found in forests and woodlands throughout Southeast Asia.
It has black and white striped fur, similar to that of a skunk, but does not have the ability to spray its predators with a poisonous liquid.
9. Honey badger
9. Honey badger
Scientific name Mellivora capensis Animal type Mammal range – Sub-Saharan Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Western Asia
The honey badger is a small carnivorous mammal that lives in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.
It is actually a ferocious predator that eats 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 rounder body shape.
Additionally, honey badgers do not produce the smelly liquid that skunks are known for.
Scientific name Meles anakuma Type of animal mammal range Honshu, 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 important differences between the two animals.
First, Japanese badgers do not have a prominent white stripe running down the middle of their back like skunks.
Additionally, Japanese badgers live in Asia, while skunks live throughout North and South America.
Javan ferret-badger
Javan ferret-badger
Scientific name Melogale orientalis Type of animal Mammal range Indonesia
The Javan ferret-badger belongs to the Mustelidae family, which includes the weasel, otter and badger.
It is the size of a large skunk and similar in color.
These animals are found in Southeast Asia and spend most of their time in trees.
Scientific Name Procyon lotor Animal Mammal Range Type North America
Raccoons are actually one of the most common animals to confuse with skunks.
This is likely because both are 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 Name Mellivora capensis Animal Type Mammal Regions – Sub-Saharan Africa
Ratels, also known as honey badgers, are one of the most common animals mistaken for skunks.
They are found in Africa and parts of Asia and look very similar to skunks with their black and white fur.
Ratels, however, do not have the ability to spray a smelly liquid.
Instead, they release a musky scent from their anal glands for self-defense.
Scientific name Ailurus fulgens Animal type Mammal range China, Nepal and Bhutan
The red panda is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.
These animals have reddish-brown fur and their bodies resemble that of a domestic cat.
Red pandas are often mistaken for skunks because of their furry tails and black facial markings.
However, red pandas do not have the same type of glands that produce the smelly liquid that skunks do.
Scientific name Hydrictis maculicollis Animal type Mammal range Central Africa
The next animal on our list is the spotted necked otter.
These animals are found in Africa and parts of Asia and look very similar to skunks.
They have a long, slender body with short legs, and their fur is mostly black with white patches on the neck.
Like skunks, they have a long bushy tail.
One of the main differences between the two animals is that the spotted-necked otter is unable to squirt a foul-smelling liquid.
They are also much smaller than skunks, only about 3 feet tall.
Scientific name Mustela eversmanii Animal type Mammal range Central and Eastern Europe
The steppe cat belongs to the weasel family and is found in Europe, Asia and Africa.
They have black and white fur, similar in appearance to skunks, but their fur is not as thick.
These animals are also much smaller than skunks, weighing only 1 to 2 pounds.
Although skunks do not produce the foul-smelling liquid that skunks are known for, they do have a musky odor that some people find unpleasant.
Scientific name Mustela erminea Type of animal Mammal range North America, Europe and Asia
Stoats are definitely similar to skunks.
They are also black and white in color, but their stripes are more distinct and they have a long, lean body.
However, one of the main ways to distinguish these two animals is their tails.
While skunks have a thick, bushy tail, skunks have a much thinner, more rat-like tail.
Additionally, skunks are smaller than skunks and have coarser fur.
Scientific name Ictonyx striatus Type of animal Mammal Range Sub-Saharan Africa
The tabby cat is a mustelid species common in Africa.
These animals have black and white stripes running down their bodies, similar to skunks.
However, unlike skunks, tabby cats do not produce a smelly liquid.
Sunda skunk badger
Sunda skunk badger
The Sunda skunk (Melogale parvula) is a species of roach native to Southeast Asia.
Despite its name, it is not closely related to either American or European skunks.
It gets its name from the fact that when threatened, it secretes a foul-smelling liquid, similar to skunks.
The Sunda skunk is a small creature, growing to only about 20 inches in length.
It has a black coat with white stripes running down its back.
Scientific name Mustela Type of animal mammal range in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico
Weasels are often mistaken for skunks because of their similar body shape and coloration.
However, weasels do not have the ability to spray their predators with a poisonous liquid.
These slender mammals are actually skilled hunters, hunting small animals such as rodents and birds.
Weasels can be found in North America, Europe and Asia.
Scientific name Gulo gulo Animal type Mammal range Canada 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.
Upon closer inspection, however, you’ll notice that the wolverine’s stripes are actually more of a mottled pattern and their overall body shape is different.
Wolves are also much larger than skunks, weighing around 30 pounds.
Scientific name Ictonyx striatus Animal Mammal type on the African continent
Zorrills are small brownish-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 them are otters, badgers, weasels, martens and wolverines.
Although they may not spray a smelly liquid to ward off predators or enemies, they do have certain characteristics that make them very similar to skunks.
Living in South Africa, I have had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal.