290 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE UNITED STATES 



M. 0. notata (Howell). White stripes very narrow, often ending in 

 the middle of the back: northern Oregon and southern Washington, 

 east of the Cascades. 



M. 0. major (Howell). Size large; stripes broad; length 705 mm.: 

 eastern Oregon, and California to Utah. 



M. 0. holzneri Mearns. Size small : southern California. 



M . macroura milleri Mearns. Back of body and tail nearly all white, 

 although in a considerable proportion of individuals the back is nearly 

 all black; tail very long; length 790 mm.; tail 435 mm.; hind foot 73 

 mm.: southern Arizona into Mexico. 



2. Spilogale Gray. Spotted skunks. Body small and slender; 

 skull flattened and with a straight dorsal outline; color pattern in 

 stripes and spots; dentition ^It,^ i/i, ^jt,, 1/2: about 13 species, 

 generally southerly in range; 10 species in the United States. 



Key to the United States Species of Spilogale 



ai In the States east of the Mississippi. 



bi In the Atlantic and Gulf States, except Florida S. putorius. 



b2 In Florida S. ambarvalis. 



3.2 In the States west of the Mississippi, 

 bi In the central States. 



Ci From Nebraska and Minnesota southwards S. interriipta. 



C2 In the coast region of -Louisiana and Texas S. indianola. 



C3 On the eastern slopes of the Rockies S. tenuis. 



bo In the southwestern States. 



Ci From western Texas to central Arizona S. leucoparia. 



C2 In the Great Basin from northern Arizona to Idaho 5. gracilis. 



C3 From central Arizona southwards S. amhigua. 



S. arizonce. 

 bs On the Pacific slope S. phenax. 



S. putorius (L.). Color black, with 4 white narrow longitudinal 

 stripes on the forward half of the body and 2 transverse stripes on the 

 hinder half; end of tail white; length 516 mm.; tail 206 mm.; hind foot 

 48 mm.: south Atlantic and Gulf States from western Virginia to 

 western Georgia, and westward into Mississippi. 



5. ambarvalis Bangs. Size small; tail short; color like S. putorius; 

 length 386 mm.; tail 120 mm.; hind foot 40 mm.: eastern Florida. 



S. interrupta (Rafinesque) . White stripes much reduced, sometimes 

 represented by a few spots; tail wholly black: southern Minnesota and 

 Nebraska to central Texas. 



S. indianola Merriam. Color similar to S. interrupta, but the tail 

 has a white tip; length 472 mm.; tail 183mm.; hind foot 48 mm.: Gulf 

 coast of Louisiana and Texas. 



