Detlefsen and Holbrook: Skunk Breeding 



247 



ALBINOTIC FEMALE, MOTHER OF THE LITTER SHOWN IN FIG. 7. 



This female (mutant c) was captured about five miles from the region where the one in Fig. 2 

 was found. It has pink eyes with a narrow line of pigment around the inner and outer margins of 

 the iris. Mated to a wild male it produced the litter shown in Fig. 7. (Fig. 5.) 



Mutations giving other desirable 

 shades and colors of skunk fur are 

 probably just as possible in this group 

 as they are in the fox. If, for example, 

 a blue or silver mutation should occur 

 in the skunk family, it would un- 

 doubtedly have considerable value, 

 possibly great value. White seems to be 

 in demand for children's furs, and a 

 pure white variety of skunks is not an 

 impossibility as we shall show. It is 

 safe to say that rich seal brown without 

 stripes, pure white, self black, silvered, 

 and blue fur of excellent quality will 

 always be in demand. Some of these 

 forms have been produced in the skunk; 

 probably all are possibilities. It s 

 however difftcult to say which of these 

 forms would be the most valuable, 

 since, of all mutations, that of woman's 

 fancy in attire is the least predictable. 



RECORDS ON MUTATIONS 



The junior writer has been studying 

 the general problem of skunk breeding 

 since 1894. Since 1914 the senior and 

 junior writers have been gathering 



records on mutations and have made 

 such genetic tests as were possible 

 with available materials, in order to 

 throw some light on special breeding 

 problems connected with the domesti- 

 cation or semi-domestication of this 

 fur bearer. The following represents 

 our complete record of mutations up 

 to the present time: 



Mephitis piidita 



a. Female; fur white, eyes pink, skin 

 pink on nose, eyelids, ears and feet. 

 Captured by James Clark and L. P. 

 Jarrett in Addison Township, Oak- 

 land County, Mich., Nov. 16, 

 1913. Taken from den of six, the 

 rest of which were normally pig- 

 mented. Purchased April 24, 1914, 

 died May 17, 1914, and mounted by 

 taxidermist. See Fig. 4. 



b. Female; fur white on body with 

 some light brown hair on face and 

 extremities; eyes black. Captured 

 about 25 miles from Schwenkville, 

 Penn., November 1914 by J. M. 

 Bray. Purchased for experimental 

 breeding Feb. 10, 1915. Fig. 2. 



