Skunks live primarily in North America, including the United States, Canada, and northern Mexico. They live in various habitats such as burrows, dens, forests, grasslands, semi-open areas, fields, brushland, pastures, and urban or suburban neighborhoods. Skunks often take over abandoned burrows made by other animals like groundhogs and foxes but can also dig their own dens with sharp claws. Their homes typically have multiple entrances and are lined with grass or leaves. In urban and suburban areas, skunks commonly nest under porches, decks, sheds, woodpiles, stone walls, hollow logs, drainage culverts, and sometimes under houses or garages. They usually stay within a couple of miles from their dens and prefer locations close to water sources. Skunks dens provide shelter for resting, hiding, birthing, and rearing young, and they adapt well to human-altered environments while seeking food and shelter.