Evaluating detection and occupancy probabilities of eastern spotted skunks

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) is a poorly understood mesocarnivore species that suffered a range‐wide decline in the mid‐1900s. Little is known about its current distribution or habitat needs, and in the southern Appalachians, where the Carolinas and Georgia converge, eastern spotted skunks were only recently discovered to persist. From January–April in 2016 and 2017, we used camera trap surveys to monitor eastern spotted skunks and used occupancy modeling to evaluate factors we hypothesized would influence the probability of spotted skunk detection and occurrence at the landscape scale. We detected spotted skunks at 55.6% of our sites and on 18.5% of sampling occasions. Our results suggest that detection probability was influenced by predation risk, camera setup, and the type of scent‐based attractant used. Eastern spotted skunk occupancy probability had a negative relationship with elevation, such that the probability of occupancy on average increased 7% for every 100‐m decrease in elevation. These results differ from previous findings from the northern Appalachian region, and suggest spotted skunks in the southern Appalachians may be more widely distributed than previously thought. To inform management, there remains a critical need for finer‐scale investigations into resource selection and demographic trends. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.