Examples of animals that look like skunks include otters, badgers, weasels, martens and wolverines.
There are certainly different types 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 difference between these animals can help you better understand their characteristics and habits.
So, what animals are often referred to as skunks?
Examples of Animals that Look Like Skunks
Examples of Animals that Look Like Skunks
Scientific NameTaxidea taxusType of AnimalMammalRangeTexas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana
The American buffalo is a 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 zebras and skunks is that zebras do not have the ability to spray their prey with a foul-smelling liquid.
Scientific NameMartes foinaAnimal SpeciesMammalRangeEurope and Central Asia
The beech marten is a type of mustel that is widely distributed in Europe and Asia.
These animals are brown or reddish in color with a yellow or white belly, and have a long, thick tail.
Although they do not have the black and white stripes of skunks, their color and general appearance can easily cause confusion.
3. Chinese Ferret-Badger
3. Chinese Ferret-Badger
Scientific NameMelogale moschataMammal SpeciesRangeChina, including Hainan Island, south to Hong Kong and northern Indochina.
The ferret-badger looks remarkably like a skunk, with its black fur and white stripes running down its back.
However, this creature is 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 Colors Can Ferrets Be?
Scientific NameLutra lutraType of AnimalMammalRangeEurope, Asia, and Africa
At first glance, the Eurasian otter can look like a skunk because of its black and white fur.
However, if you look closely, you will notice that this animal does not have the same colors as the skunk.
In addition, Eurasian otters do not produce the foul-smelling liquid that skunks emit.
These animals are found near water, where they hunt fish, crabs and other small animals.
Scientific NamesMeles melesMammal SpeciesRangeBritish Isles, Europe, and Scandinavia
The European gazelle is a member of the mustelid family, which includes weasels, otters and wolverines.
Badgers are found throughout Europe and Asia, and can grow up to two meters in length.
They are stocky animals with short legs and thick fur.
Their coat is usually gray or black with white lines on their face.
Like skunks, badgers are nocturnal and live in burrows.
Scientific NamePekania pennantiType of AnimalMammalRangeNorth America
Fishing cats are often mistaken for skunks because of their black and white fur.
However, fishing cats are actually a type of weasel.
They are larger than skunks, with some large ones weighing up to 30 pounds.
Catfish also do not have the ability to spray a foul-smelling liquid like skunks do.
Scientific NamePteronura brasiliensisSpecies of MammalsRange South America
The giant otter is a large, aquatic mammal native to South America.
These animals can grow up to six meters in length and weigh up to 70 kilograms.
Large otters are often mistaken for skunks because of their similar coloration.
Scientific NameArconyx collarisMammal SpeciesRangeSoutheast Asia
Also known as the stink bug, this animal is found in forests and woodlands throughout Southeast Asia.
It has a black and white striped coat, similar to a skunk, but lacks the ability to spray its prey with a poisonous liquid.
9. Honey Badger
9. Honey Badger
Scientific NameMellivora capensisMammal Species Rangesub-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 beast that eats almost anything it can catch, including snakes, mice, and even dead things.
Honey badgers are often mistaken for skunks because of their black and white coloring.
However, honeybees do not have the distinctive stripes of skunks and have a round body.
Additionally, honey doesn’t produce the foul-smelling liquid that skunks are known for.
Scientific NameMeles anakumaType of AnimalMammalRangeHonshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Shōdoshima
At first glance, the Japanese side definitely looks like a skunk.
They both have black and white fur, and are about the same size.
However, there is a big difference between these two animals.
For one, Japanese badgers do not have a prominent white line running down the middle of their backs like skunks do.
In addition, Japanese badgers live in Asia, while skunks are found throughout North and South America.
Javan Ferret-Badger
Javan Ferret-Badger
Scientific NameMelogale orientalis SpeciesMammalRangeIndonesia
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 the same colors.
These animals are found in Southeast Asia and spend most of their time in trees.
Scientific Name Procyon lotor Species Mammal Range North America
Raccoons are actually one of the most common animals to be mistaken for skunks.
They are probably nocturnal animals with black and white markings on their bodies.
Raccoons have longer tails than skunks, and their front legs are also very different.
Scientific NameMellivora capensis SpeciesManyatsiRangesub-Saharan Africa
The ratel, also known as the honey bee, is one of the most common animals known as skunks.
They are found in Africa and parts of Asia and look very similar to skunks with their black and white fur.
However, rats do not have the ability to spray the foul-smelling liquid.
Instead, they emit a musky odor from their anal glands as a defense mechanism.
Scientific Name Ailurus fulgens Species Mammal Range China, Nepal, and Bhutan
The red panda is a small mammal that lives in the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China.
These animals have reddish-brown fur, and their body is similar to that of a domestic cat in size.
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 secretion glands as skunks.
Scientific NameHydrictis maculicollis SpeciesMammalRangecentral Africa
The next animal on our list is the drop-necked otter.
These animals are found in Africa and parts of Asia, and they look very similar to skunks.
They have a long, thin body with short legs, and their large fur is black with white spots on the neck.
Like skunks, they also have a long, bushy tail.
Another big difference between these two animals is that spotted-necked otters do not have the ability to spray a foul-smelling liquid.
They are also much smaller than skunks, only about 3 feet tall.
Scientific Name Mustela eversmanii Species Mammal Range Central and Eastern Europe
The steppe polecat is a member of the weasel family and is found in regions of Europe, Asia and Africa.
They have a black and white coat similar in appearance to skunks, but their fur is less dense.
These animals are also much smaller than skunks, weighing only 1-2 kilograms.
Although steppe polecats do not produce the foul-smelling liquid that skunks are known for, they do have a sweet smell that some people find unpleasant.
Scientific Name Mustela erminea Species Range Mammal Range North America, Europe, and Asia
Stoats are definitely like skunks.
They are also black and white in color, but their lines are more distinct and they have a long, slender body.
However, one of the main ways to distinguish these two animals is by their tail.
While skunks have a thick, bushy tail, stoats have a thin, rat-like tail.
Additionally, stoats are smaller than skunks and their fur is coarser.
Scientific Name Ictonyx striatus Species Range sub-Saharan Africa
The striped polecat is a type of mustel found in Africa.
These animals have black and white stripes running down their bodies, just like skunks.
However, unlike skunks, colorful polecats do not produce foul-smelling secretions.
Sunda Stink Badger
Sunda Stink Badger
The smelly Sunda mustelid (Melogale parvula) is a species of mustelid native to Southeast Asia.
Despite its name, it is not closely related to American or European stink bugs.
It gets its name from the fact that it produces a foul-smelling secretion when threatened, just like skunks do.
The Sunda zebra is a small creature, only growing to about 20 centimeters in length.
It has a black coat with white stripes running down its back.
Scientific NameMustelaType of AnimalMammalRangeTexas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and New Mexico
Weasels are often mistaken for skunks because they have similar bodies and colors.
However, weasels do not have the ability to spray their prey with a noxious liquid.
These slender mammals are actually good hunters, hunting small animals such as mice and birds.
Weasels can be found in North America, Europe and Asia.
Scientific NameGulo guloAnimal SpeciesMammalRangeCanada and Alaska
Another animal that looks like a skunk is the wolverine (Gulo gulo).
Both animals have black and white striped fur running down their backs.
However, if you look closely, you will notice that the wolverine’s stripes actually have a sharp pattern and its overall body shape is different.
Wolverines are also larger than skunks, weighing about 30 kilograms.
Scientific Name: Ictonyx striatus, Animal Type: Rangethe on the continent of Africa
Zorrilla’s are small, brownish animals with stripes running down their backs.
They are found in South America and are related to skunks.
Like skunks, they can secrete a foul-smelling liquid from their hind glands when threatened.
There are many animals in the world that look like skunks.
Some of these include otters, zebras, weasels, martens and wolverines.
Although they may not spray a scented liquid to repel predators or enemies, they still have certain features that make them very similar to skunks.
Living in South Africa I am happy to see many of these animals up close.