Spilogale putorius

10. Eastern Spotted Skunk Spilogale putorius French: Moufette tachetée / German: Ostlicher Fleckenskunk / Spanish: Mofeta oriental Taxonomy. Viverra putorius Linnaeus, 1758, South Carolina. Three subspecies are recognized. Subspecies and Distribution. S. p. putorius Linnaeus, 1758 — E & SE USA (Mississippi, Alabama & N Florida, through Georgia, N to SC Pennsylvania). S. p. ambarvalis Bangs, 1898 — SE USA (Peninsular Florida). S. p. interrupta Rafinesque, 1820 — USA (Canadian border in Minnesota, C North Dakota, E Wyoming, E Colorado, W Oklahoma, NW Texas, south to C Texas, and east to the Mississippi River along Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri & Iowa, up to Wisconsin. Descriptive notes. There is considerable variation in size of Eastern Spotted Skunks. Head-body 23-33 cm, mean 30 cm (males), and 19-33 cm, mean 29 cm (females), tail 8-28 cm, mean 16- 4 cm (males), and 8: 5-21 cm, mean 15- 4 cm (females); weight 276-885 g (males) and 207-475 g (females). Eastern Spotted Skunks are smaller than Striped Skunks and more weasel-like in body shape. The pelage of Eastern Spotted Skunks is black with a complex striping pattern of six stripes; the stripes can be interrupted, giving a somewhat spotted appearance. There are usually two white spots on the rump, as well as a white spot between the eyes. The dorsal stripes run down the vertebral column from the head toward the tail. Two stripes run below the dorsal stripes over the shoulder and continue across the ears, forming a small white spot in front of the ears. A third set ofstripes continues from the front feet past the end of the shoulder stripes. Locomotion in Eastern Spotted Skunksis plantigrade and these skunks run with their bodies low to the ground. While walking more slowly and cautiously, they will extend their limbs and raise their heads to get higher off the ground. Spotted skunks have five toes on each foot. They are not such efficient diggers as Conepatus or Mephitis, but are much more agile and able to climb. The dental formula for this species is 13/3, C1/1,P 3/3, M 1/2, totaling 34 teeth. The P? is always small and may be absent. Habitat. These skunks are rarely found in the open, preferring either forested areas or habitats containing significant vegetative cover. In the Plains States, these skunks inhabit riparian woodlands and areas of vegetation along fences. They also are found in brushy and rocky habitats, but avoid wetlands. They have been observed on sandy soils and beaches in Florida. Eastern Spotted Skunks seem to prefer habitat with extensive vegetative cover, as this cover provides protection from various predators. They den in protected, dark, dry holes including natural crevices in trees, and will den off the ground to an elevation of seven meters in hollow trees. They dig their own burrows, or den in holes previously occupied by other animals, in talus slopes, haystacks, under houses or rocks, and in the walls of houses or barns. They prefer warm holes in the winter and cool dens in the summer, and will change den sites to accommodate these needs. Food and Feeding. Eastern Spotted Skunks forage primarily at night. They are secretive and not often seen. These skunks are exceptional mousers and do farmers a great service when they forage around barns and buildings. They are omnivores, but tend to be more carnivorous than Mephitis or Conepatus. The diet consists mainly of insects, small mammals, birds, and birds’ eggs. Like a center hiking an American football, the skunk uses its front paws to throw an egg through its back legs in order to crack the shell. These skunks also will eat fruits and vegetables in the summer and fall when they are available. Activity patterns. They are generally nocturnal. They usually avoid moonlit nights. On nights when the moon is not out they normally have two periods of activity. They will come out soon after sunset and again before sunrise. They will be active throughout the night as well. Eastern Spotted Skunks have been observed during the day on rare occasions. Spotted skunks are quite agile and are capable of climbing. This agility also can be observed in their threat behavior as they are able to perform front handstands. When faced with a potential predator, the skunk rushes forward, then stands on its forepaws with its hind end elevated off the ground. This behavior has been reported to last for up to eight minutes in short, 2-5 second bursts of handstanding. However, a young, captive animal from a wildlife rehabilitation effort was observed crouching under a couch on all fours until a domestic cat came into the room. The skunk rushed out from under the couch toward the cat. As soon as its tail cleared the cushion it went into a handstand/run. The cat began to trot away. The skunk followed on its frontfeet, bouncing around a table, about 1-5 m and then jumped up on a stand approximately 6 cm off the ground, ran along the stand, hopped off the end and continued to chase the cat to the other end of the room. The cat finally ran off and the skunk dropped down on all fours and went back under the couch. Spotted skunks have been reported to spray from the hand-stand position, but they usually drop down and face the predator with both ends in a “U” shape. The handstand is usuallyjust a threat behavior used to drive off the predator. Movements, Home range and Social organization. These skunks usually den alone, but in cold winter months several skunks may bed down together. They usually use more than one den site within their home range. Eastern Spotted Skunks move from den to den and more than one individual has been captured at the same den site in capture-recapture studies. They may also share dens, but with only one animal using the den at a time. Captive male animals have been reported to be aggressive toward one another to the point of one animal killing the other. Females tended not to engage in fatal fights, but remained defensive while in the same cage. Young animals will wrestle and screech at one another, but will also sleep together. Young animals will usually separate before reaching full adulthood. Spotted skunks have a patchy distribution throughout their range. Where they occur they can be found at a density of about nine animals per km? to about 20 and even 40 per km”. Eastern Spotted Skunks tend to move greater distances in the spring than in the summer and fall. Home ranges can be up to 4359 ha. Breeding. Reproduction in the Eastern Spotted Skunk is different from that in the Western Spotted Skunk. The main breeding season for this species is during March and April, although some individuals may breed again in July, August, or September to produce a second litter. Gestation is estimated to be from 50 to 65 days, with only a two-week period of delayed implantation. First-season litters are produced in late May and early June. Litter size averages five but ranges from 2-9 kits. Young are born naked or with sparse, fine, black and white pelage. The claws are well- developed at birth. The eyes and ears open at about 30 days and teeth become visible at 32 days. They can make squealing vocalizations at an early age. The young are weaned after about two months. Status and Conservation. Notlisted in CITES. Classified as Least Concern in The [UCN Red List. However, there has been concern over the lack of observations of this species throughout its range in the last few decades. Population densities of Eastern Spotted Skunks were believed to be low when settlers first arrived on the Great Plains. When small farm operations flourished there prior to the 1920s, spotted skunks became more numerous as farm buildings provided shelter as well as a supply of mice and rats. When the small farms gave way to larger operations, the density of spotted skunks became lower. Today, the Eastern Spotted Skunk is considered to be threatened in many of the states within its historical range. Natural predators of spotted skunks include larger carnivores such as domestic dogs, coyotes, foxes, feral cats and bobcats, and birds of prey such as owls. Ectoparasites found on Eastern Spotted Skunks include fleas and ticks, and endoparasites include various tapeworms, roundworms, and coccidian protozoans. Humans also are known to be a major cause of mortality because of the number of skunks hit by cars. Pneumonia and coccidiosis are diseases that have been reported in this species. Rabies has been reported, but rarely. Histoplasmosis has also been found, and microfilaria,listeriosis, mastitis, tularemia, distemper, and Q fever are likely to affect Eastern Spotted Skunks. Bibliography. Bangs (1898b), Choate et al. (1973), Crabb (1948), Dragoo & Honeycutt, (1999b), Gompper & Hackett (2005), Howell (1906), Kinlaw (1995), Manaro (1961), McCullough & Fritzell (1984), Mead (1968a), Mitchell (1923), Pocock (1921), Reed & Kennedy (2000), Seton (1926), Van Gelder (1959).

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