SPOTTED SKUNK 



Prairie Spotted Skunk. — Spilogale interrupt a (Rafinesque). 

 Most like putorius but blacker and without prominent white 

 tip to tail. Total length, males, 19.6-2 1.5 inches; tail 

 vertebrae, 7.2-8.9 inches; hind foot, 1.8-2 inches. Dorsal 

 stripes generally narrow and frequently interrupted and 

 broken up into widely separated spots; white frontal spot 

 small; white ear spot usually not running into white dorsal 

 stripe; tail entirely black or at most with very small terminal 

 tuft of white. Found in "Iowa, southern Minnesota, 

 Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma; south in 

 eastern Texas to about the middle of the state." (Howell) 



Gulf Spotted Skunk. — Spilogale indianola Merriam. 



Color pattern resembling the discontinuous striping of 

 interrupta, but tail with white tip about equal to one-quarter 

 of the upper surface; median pair of white stripes generally 

 narrower than outer pair. Total length, males, 17. 6-21 

 inches; tail vertebrce, 6.6-8.2 inches; hind foot, 1.8-2 inches; 

 Found in "Coast region of Texas and Louisiana; south to 

 Victoria, Tamaulipas." (Howell) 



Rio Grande Spotted Skunk. — Spilogale leucoparid Merriam. 

 Characterized by extensive white markings. Lateral and 

 outer pair of white dorsal stripes very broad; large white 

 spots or areas on forehead, in front of ear, and on tail, 

 terminal fourth above, terminal two-thirds below. Total 

 length, males, 16 inches; tail vertebrae, 5.8 inches; hind foot, 

 1.9 inches. Found in "Arid region of western Texas and 

 southern New Mexico; south over the eastern side of the 

 Mexican table-land to Hidalgo; west to central Arizona." 

 (Howell) 



Rocky Mountain Spotted Skunk. — Spilogale tenuis Howell. 

 Resembling leucoparia but with narrower white lateral 

 stripes; white patch on forehead long and narrow; end of 

 tail white for terminal third. Total length, males, 18 inches; 

 tail vertebras, 6.6 inches; hind foot, 2 inches. Found on 

 "Eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and 

 northern New Mexico ; limits of range unknown. ' ' (Howell) 



Canyon Spotted Skunk. — Spilogale gracilis gracilis Merriam. 

 Marked about as in leucoparia but with rather less white on 

 tail; small size, slender. Total length, males, 13. 4-16 

 inches; tail vertebras, 5.2-6.4 inches; hind foot, 1.6-1.8 

 inches. Found in "Northern Arizona and desert ranges of 

 southeastern California; south in the Sierra Madre to 

 Jalisco and Michoacan." (Howell) 



Great Basin Spotted Skunk. — Spilogale gracilis saxatilis (Mer- 

 riam). 

 Somewhat larger than typical gracilis and generally without 

 white lateral stripe, or else with it greatly reduced. Total 

 length, males, 16.9-18 inches; tail vertebras, 6.5-7 inches; 

 hind foot, 1.8-2 inches. Found in "Utah, western Colorado, 

 northern Nevada, southern Idaho, eastern Oregon, and 

 northeastern California. " (Howell) 



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