If you’ve got something messing up your lawn and you’re not sure what it is, look at how they dig. Skunks create holes about the size of their nose when they dig for earthworms, grubs, and other soil insects with their long, front claws.
Raccoons enjoy diets that are almost identical to skunks but use their front paws like hands to pull up and flip pieces of sod, especially with newly laid sod or grass that has shallow roots.
Important factoid: February into March is skunk breeding season, and those amorous males may be a lot more active especially dawn or dusk, so be on the lookout if you have dogs that you let outside!
Learn more about managing skunks and raccoons, and try out this Wildlife Identification Tool for other mammals that may be visiting your yard.