Eastern Spotted Skunk
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The eastern spotted skunk (''Spilogale putorius'') is a small, relatively slender
skunk Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or gi ...
found in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, in the central and parts of the southeastern
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and in small areas of
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. The eastern spotted skunk is a very small skunk, no larger than a good-sized tree squirrel. Its body is more
weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets, and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slend ...
-like in shape than the more familiar
striped skunk The striped skunk (''Mephitis mephitis'') is a skunk of the genus ''Mephitis (genus), Mephitis'' that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern ...
. The eastern spotted skunk has four broken stripes on its back, giving it a "spotted" appearance. It has a white spot on its forehead. It is found in Canada (southeast Manitoba and northwestern Ontario), the United States and northeastern Mexico. Males, at in total length, are larger than females, at . The tail accounts for roughly a third of its total length. Body mass can range from , with males averaging around against the female's average of . Skull length is . It is much more active than any other type of skunk. It has mostly the same predators as any other skunk (big cats, bobcats, owls, humans, etc.). Up to eight skunks may share an underground den in the winter. It can also climb and take shelter in trees. The Eastern spotted skunk seems to prefer forest edges and upland prairie grasslands, especially where rock outcrops and shrub clumps are present. In western counties, it relies heavily on riparian corridors where woody shrubs and woodland edges are present. Woody
fencerow In agriculture, fences are used to keep animals in or out of an area. They can be made from a wide variety of materials, depending on terrain, location and animals to be confined. Most agricultural fencing averages about high, and in some places ...
s, odd areas, and abandoned farm buildings are also important habitat.


Description

The eastern spotted skunk has a small weasel-like body with fine, dense black fur that has 4 to 6 broken, white stripes. Two of the stripes are located at the median of the body and four stripes are placed on the side running from the back of the head to the rear. White markings are present on both cheeks, as well as on the tip of the tail. This is known as an
aposematic Aposematism is the Advertising in biology, advertising by an animal, whether terrestrial or marine, to potential predation, predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defenses which make the pr ...
fur pattern and is thought to act as a warning to predators. The typical body length of eastern spotted skunks is with a tail length from , resulting in a total length of . The feet are long, and the forefeet have claws approximately long, while the hind feet have claws that are around . The feet are equipped with pads on the soles that aid in climbing. The large claws of the forefeet help the skunk dig and grasp prey. The total body weight of adults ranges from .


Behavior

Eastern spotted skunks are quite secretive and elusive creatures, and it is a rarity for humans to see them. They are also nocturnal and tend to be more active during dry cool nights rather than warm wet nights. Although these skunks do not hibernate, they do tend to greatly reduce their activity when enduring intensely warm summers or very cold winters. Generally speaking, out of the four species, ''S. putorius'' is the most active. They are also more agile and vigilant than the other skunks dwelling in North America. In addition to performing a handstand before spraying a potential predator, the skunk also performs foot stamping, which involves the skunk stamping its feet on the ground in order to warn an approaching predator. The stamping can be heard for several meters away and is usually followed by the skunk spraying its odorous secretion. When these skunks encounter an egg that they want to eat they will straddle the egg with their front legs and bite the egg open. If this fails they will then proceed to use their front legs to push the egg back and kick it with one of their hind legs.


Breeding

Eastern spotted skunks usually breed in March or April and give birth in late May or early June. On average the female skunk gives birth to 4–5 baby skunks (kits) at a time. It takes twelve weeks before newborn skunks will become fully developed into adult skunks and two months before they develop skunk
musk Musk is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. They include glandular secretions from animals such as the musk deer, numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial substances with similar odors. ' ...
to use as self-defense.


Conservation

The eastern spotted skunk has seen sharp declines in populations from several states, particularly those in the Midwest (such as Minnesota and Wisconsin). The exact reason behind the decrease in numbers is not known, which is puzzling considering the species was very quick to adapt to human settlement, and was commonly trapped up until the second half of the 20th century. Before then, they were frequently seen on farmlands, and were known to dig burrows under the sides of barns and prey on mice that were attracted to stored grains. In Minnesota, after a peak in the number of reported trapped specimens in the mid-1940s, with approximately 19,400 spotted skunks taken in 1946 alone, yearly reports of trapped spotted skunks sharply fell.
Pesticide Pesticides are substances that are used to control pests. They include herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, and many others (see table). The most common of these are herbicides, which account for approximately 50% of all p ...
use, modernization of farming techniques, over-trapping and consolidation of barns and other man-made structures are all believed to have had a negative effect on eastern spotted skunk populations; as a result, it has become possibly eradicated from several midwestern states, and on the whole is declining in that region. It is also declining in parts of the eastern US, such as Pennsylvania. Where it is not declining, the eastern spotted skunk is uncommon, although it remains common in Southern Florida. According to a population survey done in Alabama, the Carolinas, and Virginia, the Appalachian spotted skunk (''S. p. putorius''), the
nominate subspecies In biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. ...
, underwent a decline of about 3% per year between 2014 and 2020, with about a 50% mortality rate; predation from owls constituted the main reason for mortality throughout most of the range, but in North Carolina, a canine distemper outbreak killed half the marked (and a few unmarked) individuals over a few days.


References


External links

* Kinlaw A. E. (1995)
"Eastern Spotted Skunk (''Spilogale putorius'')"
''Mammalian Species'' 511
Smithsonian Institution - North American Mammals: ''Spilogale putorius''

Eastern Spotted Skunk ''Spilogale putorius''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skunk, Eastern Spotted Eastern spotted Carnivorans of North America Eastern spotted skunk Eastern spotted skunk