Spotted Skunk Spilogale Putorius Research Articles

First tracking of an eastern spotted skunk litter from birth to independence

Abstract We tracked a female eastern spotted skunk Spilogale putorius in North Carolina, USA, that gave birth to a litter of three kits in summer 2020. Using camera traps and radio-collars, we were able to monitor the movement and behaviors of the female and litter. We observed behaviors including food provisioning, play-fighting, and interspecific interactions. We tracked the movements of the kits past independence from their mother and documented dispersal events for two kits. This is the first known successful attempt to track eastern spotted skunk kits from birth to independence, providing new insights into the ecology of this cryptic species.

Mating behavior of Eastern Spotted Skunk Spilogale putorius Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Mephitidae) revealed by camera trap in Texas, USA

Eastern Spotted Skunks Spilogale putorius are an understudied Vulnerable small carnivore. Here we report a novel capture of Eastern Spotted Skunks mating via a camera trap in central Texas. This detection adds to the minimal natural history knowledge of the species and highlights the utility of camera traps for documenting rarely observed behaviors.

Fossil carnivores from the Leisey Shell Pits, Hillsborough County, Florida

Thirteen species of carnivores have been recovered from the Leisey Shell Pits, late early Irvingtonian of Florida. These species include Armbruster's wolf Canis armbrusteri, the wolf coyote Canis edwardii, the gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus, the tremarctine bear Arctodus pristinus, the gracile sabercat Smilodon gracilis, the machairodont Homotherium sp., the bobcat Lynx rufus, the cheetah-like cat Miracinonyx inexpectatus, the raccoon Procyon lotor, the long-tailed weasel Mustela frenata, the spotted skunk Spilogale putorius, the river ottor Lutra canadensis, and the Caribbean monk seal Monachus tropicalis. Of significance, the Leisey carnivore fauna includes (1) the largest, most complete sample of Smilodon gracilis, and (2) the first Irvingtonian record from Florida of Lutra canadensis. The Leisey carnivores rank with those from Coleman 2A and Inglis IA as the most diverse carnivore faunas known from the Irvingtonian of Florida.