4 



farmers' BULLETIN 587. 



The four grades of skunk fur are clue to individual variation in 

 markings, and none of them is entirely characteristic of any particu- 

 lar species. An apparent exception may be found in the plains 

 skunk 1 and its races. Most of these are characterized by long nar- 

 row stripes, but because of their extra size they are more valuable 

 than ordinary No. 3 skins. 



A skunk belonging mainly to Central and South America 2 differs 

 from the common skunks of the United States in having a relatively 

 shorter tail and the back broadly marked with white from the crown 

 of the head to the end of the tail. Three forms are found within the 



Fig. 3.— Range of spotted skunks (Spilogalc) north of Mexico. 



United States as far north as Texas and Arizona. Their skins grade 

 as broad-striped (No. 4), and as the pelts are heavy and much less 

 densely furred than those of the more northern skunks, they command 

 very low prices. 



The distribution of little spotted skunks 3 is more restricted than 

 that of the others. While found somewhat farther south in Central 

 America than the common large skunks, they do not range so far 

 northward on the Pacific coast. Near the Atlantic coast they are 

 unknown north of Georgia, but in the Alleghenies their northern 

 limit is apparently in northern Virginia. In the interior they reach 

 southern Minnesota, central Wyoming, southern Idaho, and south- 



1 Mephitis mesomelas. 



2 Genus Conepatus. 



3 Genus Spilogale. 



