FIELD BOOK OF MAMMALS 



Louisiana Skunk.— Mephitis mesomelas mesomelas Lichten- 



SmalHn size, variable in color; tail short, usually entirely 

 black; white stripes may or may not reach to tail. INot 

 much difference in size between sexes. Tota length, 23 

 inches; tail vertebrae, 9 inches; hind foot, 2.5 inches Found 

 on "West side of Mississippi Valley from southern i>ouisiana 

 to Missouri; westward along the coast of Texas to Mata- 

 gorda Island; and up the Red River Valley as far at least as 

 Wichita Falls." (Howell) ■ /-d n 



Illinois Skunk.— Mephitis mesomelas ama (Bangs) 



Resembling typical mesomelas and differing chiefly m skull 

 Siara'ters.' Z.l length, 25 inches tail v-tebr. 8 inches; 

 hind foot, 2.7 inches. Found m "Prairie region of Illinois, 

 western Indiana, and eastern Iowa; boundaries of range 

 imperfectly known. " (Howell) 



Long-tailed Texas Skunk.— Mephitis mesomelas varians 



LargeYnd long-tailed; color pattern like that of mephitis; 

 tail without white tip; fairly constant m marking. Total 

 length males, 30 inches, females, 27 mches; tail vertebrae, 

 males 15.7 inches, females, 15 inches; hind foot, males 

 ^8 Inches, females, 2.8 inches. Found m'' Southern and 

 western Texas, eastern New Mexico, and adjacent parts of 

 Mexico; north into Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, and 

 Nebraska." (Howell) . 



Arizona Skunk.— Mephitis estor Memam. . . -^ 



Smah in size, much white on body and tail; broad white 

 dOTsal stripes, in some specimens broad white area across 

 fower bacli^ white on upper surface of tail -- yXTi"' 

 the black- white pencil at tip of tail. Total length, males, 

 25 6 inches; females, 23 inches; tail vertebra., males, 11.4 

 fnches females, 11 inches; hind foot, males, 28 inches, 

 females 2.5 inches. Found in "Arizona, western New 

 Eco Sonora, Chihuahua, and northern Lower California; 

 S ?A the Sierra Madre to southern Chihuahua; limits of 

 ranp"e unknown. " (Howell) , 7> -n • 1 



California S;k^xnk^Meph^tis ocddentalis occtdaUalis Baird. 

 Large in size, tail long; markings fairly constant, pattern 

 as fn hudsonica; white stripes of ^^^lum width _Tote^ 

 length, males, 32 inches females, 28 ^^^^es taiWertebrae 

 males 12 s inches, females, 12 inches; hind foot, males, 3- 1 

 h^ches females 3 o inches. Found in "Northern and central 

 Sifom^r from vicinity of Monterey Bay northward west 

 Sfhe Sierra and Cascades, to the Willamette Valley, 



Pugrt''soU''Tktnk.-M.M^-^- occidentalis spissigrada 



Likftypfcal occidentalis but with more white and shorter 



tail; white stripes on back ^mding abou mi^^^^^ 



and white on tail very extensive. Total length, males, 20 



128 



