Distribution and Relative Abundance of Eastern Spotted Skunk Records Across Their Range
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Ecology and Conservation of the Eastern Spotted Skunk
2021 Southeastern Naturalist 20(Special Issue 11):13–23
Distribution and Relative Abundance of Eastern Spotted
Skunk Records Across Their Range
Roger W. Perry1,*, D. Blake Sasse2, J. Clint Perkins3, and Nicholas W. Sharp4
Abstract - Evidence suggests the range of Spilogale putorius (Eastern Spotted Skunk)
has contracted and its abundance has declined in the past 70 years, leading to conserva-
tion concerns. We summarized county records of Eastern Spotted Skunks collected during
2000–2020 to determine the current range and relative abundance of the species. We ac-
cumulated 1174 records from 257 counties across its historic range in the United States,
with 901 records from 197 counties considered verified. Verified records included museum
specimens, photo-documented occurrences, and captures by researchers. We created 2 dis-
tribution maps: one of their current range based on all occurrence records and another from
only verified records. Records indicated the Eastern Spotted Skunk persisted across a large
portion of its historic range, and is relatively abundant in the Interior Highlands, Appala-
chian Mountains, central Texas, central South Dakota, and south Florida. Our results also
suggest that the species’ overall range has contracted since 1959. Regions with a relatively
high abundance of current records covered a variety of ecosystems, including agricultural
areas, grasslands, woodlands, and forests. These data provide managers with information
concerning where research and conservation efforts can be focused for this potentially de-
clining species.
Introduction
Found across much of the United States (US), Spilogale putorius (L.) (Eastern
Spotted Skunk) is a small mesocarnivore that ranges from Florida to Texas and
west to the Rocky Mountains, and north to Minnesota (Kinlaw 1995). Van Gelder
(1959) presented one of the first estimates of the geographic range of the Eastern
Spotted Skunk. However, using records from fur-trapping magazines and museum
specimens, Sasse (2017) estimated the species’ range in 1900−1920 covered ~60%
of the area estimated in 1959 and suggested the Eastern Spotted Skunk expanded
its range into additional areas in the mid-1900s, including the northern Great Plains
and parts of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley of the central US. As evidenced primar-
ily by fur trapping reports, the species declined in abundance in the second half of
the twentieth century, and one subspecies, S.p. interrupta Rafinesque (Plains Spot-
ted Skunk), has been proposed for protection under the federal Endangered Species
Act (Gompper 2017, Gompper and Hackett 2005, USFWS 2012).
The decline in abundance of Eastern Spotted Skunks may have coincided with
range contractions in some states. Recent incidental captures by fur trappers in
Arkansas have been limited to the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, although the
1
USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Hot Springs, AR 71902. 2Arkansas
Game and Fish Commission, Mayflower, AR 72106. 3Department of Natural Resources
Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, 4Alabama Wildlife and Freshwa-
ter Fisheries, Tanner, AL 35671. *Corresponding author - roger.perry@usda.gov.
Manuscript Editor: Steven Castleberry
132021 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, Special Issue 11
R.W. Perry, D.B. Sasse, J.C. Perkins, and N.W. Sharp
species was once found nearly statewide (Sasse 2018, Sasse and Gompper 2006).
In South Dakota, occurrence was reduced from 65 counties in 1983 to 54 counties
in 1993 (Blumberg et al. 1997). Choate et al. (1973) reported possible extirpation of
the species from western Kansas, and Dowler et al. (2017) concluded that its range
in Texas may have contracted such that it was now only present in the central part
of the state.
Due to perceived range contraction and decline in numbers, land managers need
current information on the distribution of Eastern Spotted Skunks so that research
and conservation efforts can be concentrated in areas with the greatest probability
of encountering the species. We used county records accumulated during 2000–
2020 to update the distribution and relative abundance of Eastern Spotted Skunks.
Methods
We accumulated locality records of Eastern Spotted Skunks using county as
our datum. We requested locality information from state and federal biologists,
researchers, and others across the current and historic range of Eastern Spotted
Skunks (Appendix 1). We included data from museum collections, published re-
search (Appendix 2), iNaturalist reports with photo documentation (iNaturalist
2020), state natural history databases, museum collections reported in biodiversity
websites, capture and camera-trap data from government or university researchers,
and public sightings reported to state wildlife agencies.
We estimated the reliability of each record based on the source and documenta-
tion, such as photos or collected specimens. We generally considered observational
records from the public, fur trappers, and other non-wildlife professionals with-
out photo documentation or validation by wildlife professionals to be unverified
because of frequent confusion with Mephitis mephitis Schreber (Striped Skunk;
Sasse 2018). We considered reports verified if they fell into one of the following
categories: (1) specimens collected for museums; (2) photo documentation was
provided, such as game-camera photos; (3) track-plate data collected by wildlife
professionals; (4) captures by researchers or presented in published research;
(5) tissue samples collected for genetic or other studies; (6) furs presented at sales
by trappers; (7) visual sightings by professional wildlife biologists or research-
ers; (8) captures by the public and seen by wildlife professionals; (9) mortalities
(i.e., roadkills) documented by professional wildlife biologists; (10) observations
reported by the public with specific details of behavior (i.e., arboreal behavior) that
differentiated Spotted Skunks from Striped Skunks; and (11) records from wildlife
rehabilitators. We considered records unverified when wildlife agencies reported
“sighting” or other location data without additional information on the source or
type of those records. We also considered fur-trapper reports unverified unless con-
firmed by a state official or at a fur sale. We created 2 distribution maps; one using
all records collected and another presenting only verified records.
We arbitrarily included only records collected after 1 January 2000 so that oc-
currences were considered recent. We did not include county records when the date
of collection was not recorded. Additional records collected as part of on-going
142021 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, Special Issue 11
R.W. Perry, D.B. Sasse, J.C. Perkins, and N.W. Sharp
research were not included so that researchers could publish their findings first.
These records were minimal, and generally occurred in regions where other records
occurred, such as in the central Appalachians of Virginia and West Virginia; recent
records of Eastern Spotted Skunks from Wyoming were also not included because
of ongoing research.
We included an estimate of the relative abundance of Eastern Spotted Skunks
in each county using total number of records from that county. We delineated rela-
tive abundance into 4 classes: 0 records, 1 record, 2–5 records, and >5 records. We
considered multiple photographs from the same site (e.g., camera-trap station) to
be a single record because baited camera stations often record the same individual
multiple times (Gerber et al. 2012). We considered each individual skunk a separate
record when multiple captures of different individuals occurred at the same location
during live trapping.
Results
We accumulated 1174 records of Eastern Spotted Skunks from 257 counties
across their historic range (Fig. 1). Of these, 901 records from 197 counties were
considered verified (Fig. 2). Forty-four percent of counties had only a single record
of Eastern Spotted Skunks during 2000−2020 (38% of verified records), whereas
56% of counties had 2 or more records (62% of verified counties) (Fig. 3). The
greatest number of both total and verified records were from Osceola County, FL
(n = 216 total and verified), followed by Scott County, AR (n = 54 total and 47
verified), and Oconee County, SC (n = 39 total and verified). Additional notewor-
thy counties with verified records included Macon County, NC (n = 35); Coryell
County, TX (n = 17); Le Flore County, OK (n = 15); Harris County, TX (n = 14);
and Hand County, SD (n = 14). Only single records occurred in Minnesota, Pennsyl-
vania, and North Dakota and no Eastern Spotted Skunks were recorded since 2000
in Louisiana, Colorado, Maryland, or Wisconsin.
Both verified and unverified records indicated Eastern Spotted Skunks per-
sist from north-central North Dakota to central Texas, eastward to southwestern
Pennsylvania and southern Florida. Both verified records and total records showed
a similar distribution pattern. However, regions where only unverified records
occurred included east-central North Carolina, western Tennessee, and northern
Kansas. Verified records suggested relatively higher abundances (based on total
number of verified records) occurred in the Interior Highlands of Missouri, Arkan-
sas, and Oklahoma, and in the Appalachian Mountains from Virginia to northern
Alabama. Other areas of high relative abundance included central and southeastern
Texas, central South Dakota, and south Florida.
Discussion
Recent records of Eastern Spotted Skunks covered regions similar to their his-
toric distribution in 1900–1920 (Sasse 2017). However, we found no recent records
from eastern Iowa, southern Texas, eastern Colorado, and the Texas panhandle
152021 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, Special Issue 11
R.W. Perry, D.B. Sasse, J.C. Perkins, and N.W. Sharp
where they apparently occurred in both 1900–1920 and 1959 (Van Gelder 1959).
We recorded 257 counties with records, whereas Sasse (2017) suggested the range
in 1900−1920 covered ~909 counties (a 72% smaller area in 2020). However,
range maps are typically drawn to encompass a series of disjunct points where or-
ganisms occurred and they often include areas where the species was not actually
identified; thus, some counties covered by the map in Sasse (2017) may have not
contained Eastern Spotted Skunks, and many of the counties in our data set may
have had undetected skunks. We found abundant records from central South Dako-
ta, which was outside the presumed range of Eastern Spotted Skunks in 1900–1920
(Sasse 2017) but included in the estimated range in 1959 (Van Gelder 1959). Van
Gelder (1959) indicated that Louisiana was an area of integration between the
subspecies S.p. putorius and S.p. interrupta, and northern Florida was an area of
integration between the subspecies S.p. putorius and S. p. ambarvalis, but Eastern
Spotted Skunks now appear rare or absent from both of these areas.
We did not include records from Wyoming because state officials lacked con-
fidence in the identifications due to their locations from across the state where
Figure 1. Distribution of Eastern Spotted Skunk reports and relative abundance of records
by county across their range; includes all records, 2000−2020.
162021 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, Special Issue 11
R.W. Perry, D.B. Sasse, J.C. Perkins, and N.W. Sharp
Spilogale gracilis Merriam (Western Spotted Skunk) also occurs. Most records
received from Wyoming were identified only as Spilogale, and only 9 were identi-
fied as Eastern Spotted Skunks. Western and Eastern Spotted Skunks both occur
in Wyoming but currently cannot reliably be distinguished without genetic testing
(e.g., ESSCSG 2019), and the range boundary between the 2 species is unclear.
Further research to distinguish the distribution of these 2 species in Wyoming was
ongoing. Both species of spotted skunks also occur in Texas and have an area of
potential sympatry in the central portion of the state (Dowler et al. 2008). For cen-
tral Texas, we incorporated records from a recent genetic analysis (Shaffer et al.
2018), individuals with a confirmed genetic identification but not yet reported (R.
Dowler, Angelo State University, San Angelo, TX, unpubl. data), individuals from
on-going research, and photo records that had been vetted for species identification.
Therefore, we are confident in the presented distribution of Eastern Spotted Skunks
in central Texas.
Even in areas with numerous records, this species is likely rare and often
not easily captured or photographed with game cameras (e.g., Fino et al. 2019,
Figure 2. Distribution of Eastern Spotted Skunk reports and relative abundance of records
by county across their range; includes only verified records, 2000−2020.
172021 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, Special Issue 11
R.W. Perry, D.B. Sasse, J.C. Perkins, and N.W. Sharp
Hackett et al. 2007, Higdon and Gompper 2020). For example, in Scott County,
AR, Hackett et al. (2007) reported 0.81% capture success over 12,404 trap nights.
In Oconee County, SC, Eng and Jachowski (2019) reported a 2.8% detection rate
across 4689 camera-trap nights, and Fino et al. (2019) reported2021 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, Special Issue 11
R.W. Perry, D.B. Sasse, J.C. Perkins, and N.W. Sharp
may exist but simply lacked sufficient sampling. Nevertheless, the overall regions
of occurrence generally remain valid regardless of perceived relative abundance.
Counties where abundant records occurred were dominated by a wide variety of
ecosystems. Abundant records occurred from counties dominated by open pasture,
grasslands, and row-crop agriculture, (e.g., central South Dakota; Fino et al. 2019),
dry coastal grasslands (e.g., Florida; Harris et al. 2020), woodlands (e.g., Texas;
Dowler et al. 2017), and forest (e.g., Arkansas, Missouri, Virginia, West Virginia,
and Alabama). In forests, there were multiple verified records from sites dominated
by various forest types, including mixed pines (Pinus spp.) and oaks (Quercus
spp.) in Arkansas (Perry et al. 2018) West Virginia (Thorne and Waggy 2017), and
Alabama (Benson et al. 2019); oak (Quercus spp.)-hickory (Carya spp.) forests of
Missouri (Hackett et al. 2007); and high-elevation forests of Picea rubens Sarg.
(Red Spruce) in Virginia (Diggins et al. 2015). Consequently, they appear to be
distributed among a wide variety of habitats across their range, and it is unclear if
they have declined more or less in certain habitats or whether other factors such as
disease may be primarily contributing to their perceived decline.
Information on the ecology of this species has only recently began to appear,
and recent increase in interest has spurred efforts to collect data on presence us-
ing non-invasive methods such as game cameras. Additional resources that allow
the quick distribution of information on skunk locations, such as iNaturalist, have
also increased our knowledge of their distribution and abundance. These data pro-
vide valuable information on presence and relative abundance to managers, which
is critical to conservation planning and species assessments. Our results suggest
that the current overall range of Eastern Spotted Skunks is similar to the range in
1900−1920 (Sasse 2017), although contractions have occurred in some areas. How-
ever, larger range contractions may have occurred since their range was estimated
in 1959 (Van Gelder 1959). Although our study provides general locations where
Eastern Spotted Skunks can still be found, we cannot make conclusions on the cur-
rent abundance of Eastern Spotted Skunks compared with past decades.
Acknowledgments
See Appendix 1 for a list of individuals that contributed data and information on Eastern
Spotted Skunk records. We thank W.M. Ford and D.S. Jachowski for review of an earlier draft.
Literature Cited
Benson, I.W., T.L. Sprayberry, W.C. Cornelison, and A.J. Edelman. 2019. Rest-site activity
patterns of Eastern Spotted Skunks in Alabama. Southeastern Naturalist 18:165−172.
Blumberg, C.A., K.F. Higgins, and J.A. Jenks. 1997. Use of a mail survey to determine pres-
ent mammal distributions in South Dakota. Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy
of Science 76:75−89.
Choate, J.R., E.D. Fleharty, and R.J. Little. 1973. Status of the Spotted Skunk, Spilogale
putorius, in Kansas. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 76:226−233.
Diggins, C.D., D.S. Jachowski, J. Martin, and W.M. Ford. 2015. Incidental captures of
Eastern Spotted Skunk in a high-elevation Red Spruce forest in Virginia. Northeastern
Naturalist 22:N6−N10.
192021 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, Special Issue 11
R.W. Perry, D.B. Sasse, J.C. Perkins, and N.W. Sharp
Dowler, R.C., C.E. Ebeling, G.I. Guerra, and A.W. Ferguson. 2008. The distribution of
Spotted Skunks, Genus Spilogale, in Texas. Texas Journal of Science 60:321−326.
Dowler, R.C., J.C. Perkins, A.A. Shaffer, B.D. Wolaver, B.J. Labay, J.P. Pierre, A.W. Fergu-
son, M.M. McDonough, and L.K. Ammerman. 2017. Conservation status of the Plains
Spotted Skunk, Spilogale putorius interrupta, in Texas, with an assessment of genetic
variability in the species. Report to the Texas Comptrollers Office, Austin, TX. 143 pp.
Eng, R.Y.Y., and D.S. Jachowski. 2019. Evaluating detection and occupancy probabilities
of Eastern Spotted Skunks. Journal of Wildlife Management. 83:1244−1253.
Eastern Spotted Skunk Cooperative Study Group (ESSCSG). 2019. Eastern Spotted Skunk
conservation plan. 43 pp. Available online at https://easternspottedskunk.weebly.com/
uploads/3/9/7/0/39709790/ess_conservation_plan_dec92020.pdf. Earlier version ac-
cessed 30 July 2020.
Fino, S., J.D. Stafford, A.T. Pearse, and J.A. Jenks. 2019. Incidental captures of Plains Spot-
ted Skunks in central South Dakota. Prairie Naturalist 51:33−36.
Gerber, B.D., S.M. Karpanty, and M.J. Kelly. 2012. Evaluating the potential biases in
carnivore capture–recapture studies associated with the use of lure and varying density
estimation techniques using photographic-sampling data of the Malagasy civet. Popula-
tion Ecology 54:43−54.
Gompper, M.E. 2017. Range decline and landscape ecology of the Eastern Spotted Skunk.
Pp. 478–492, In D.W. Macdonald, C. Newman, and L.A. Harrington (Eds.). Biology and
Conservation of the Musteloids. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. 672 pp.
Gompper, M.E., and H.M. Hackett. 2005. The long-term range-wide decline of a once com-
mon carnivore: The Eastern Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius). Animal Conservation
8:195−201.
Hackett, H.M., D.B. Lesmeister, J. Desanty-Combes, W.G. Montague, J.J. Millspaugh, and
M.E. Gompper. 2007. Detection rates of Eastern Spotted Skunks (Spilogale putorius)
in Missouri and Arkansas using live-capture and non-invasive techniques. American
Midland Naturalist 158:123−131.
Harris, S.N. 2018. Florida Spotted Skunk ecology in a dry prairie ecosystems. M.Sc. Thesis.
Clemson University, Clemson, SC. 69 pp.
Harris, S.N., T.J. Doonan, E.L. Hewett Rangheb, and D.S. Jachowski. 2020. Den-site selec-
tion by the Florida Spotted Skunk. Journal of Wildlife Management 84:127−137.
Higdon, S.D. and M.E. Gompper. 2020. Rest-site use and the apparent rarity of an Ozark
population of Plains Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius interrupta). Southeastern Natu-
ralist 19:73–88.
Hurtado, L.C. 2018. Spatial and temporal structure of a canid community in Nebraska.
Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE. 250 pp.
iNaturalist 2020. Social network for naturalists. Home page. Available from https://www.
inaturalist.org. Accessed 10 June 2020.
Kinlaw, A. 1995. Spilogale putorius. Mammalian Species 551:1–7.
Lesmeister, D.B., M.E. Gompper, and J.J. Millspaugh. 2009. Habitat selection and home-
range dynamics of Eastern Spotted Skunks in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, USA.
Journal of Wildlife Management 73:18–25
Perry, R.W., D.C. Rudolph, and R.E. Thill. 2018. Capture-site characteristics for Eastern
Spotted Skunks in mature forests during summer. Southeastern Naturalist 17:298–308.
Sasse, D.B. 2017. Distribution of the Eastern Spotted Skunk in the early twentieth century.
Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science 71:219−220.
202021 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, Special Issue 11
R.W. Perry, D.B. Sasse, J.C. Perkins, and N.W. Sharp
Sasse, D.B. 2018. Incidental captures of Plains Spotted Skunks (Spilogale putorius inter-
rupta) by Arkansas trappers, 2012–2017. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science
72:187−189.
Sasse, D.B., and M.E. Gompper. 2006. Geographic distribution and harvest dynamics of
the Eastern Spotted Skunk in Arkansas. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science
60:119−124.
Shaffer, A.A., R.C. Dowler, J.C. Perkins, A.W. Ferguson, M.M. McDonough, and L.K.
Ammerman. 2018. Genetic variation in the Eastern Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putoirus)
with emphasis on the Plains Spotted Skunk (S. p. interrupta). Journal of Mammalogy
99:1237−1248.
Thorne, E.D. 2020. Spatial ecology of a vulnerable species: Home-range dynamics, re-
source use, and genetic differentiation of Eastern Spotted Skunks in central Appalachia.
Ph.D. Dissertation. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.
210 pp.
Thorne, E.D., and C. Waggy. 2017. First reported observation of food provisioning to
offspring by an Eastern Spotted Skunk, a small carnivore. Northeastern Naturalist
24:N1−N4. Thorne, E.D., C. Waggy, D.S. Jachowski, M.J. Kelly, and W.M. Ford. 2017.
Winter habitat associations of Eastern Spotted Skunks in Virginia. Journal of Wildlife
Management 81:1042–1050.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2012. 90-Day finding on a petition to list
the Prairie Gray Fox, the Plains Spotted Skunk, and a distinct population segment of the
Mearn’s Eastern Cottontail in east central Illinois and Western Indiana as endangered or
threatened species. Federal Register 77:71759−71771. Available online at https://www.
federalregister.gov/documents/2012/12/04/2012-29188/endangered-and-threatened-
wildlife-and-plants-90-day-finding-on-a-petition-to-list-the-prairie-gray. Accessed 12
January 2021.
Van Gelder, R.G. 1959. A taxonomic revision of the spotted skunks (Genus Spilogale). Bul-
letin of the American Museum of Natural History 117:229−392.
White, K.M. 2019. Canid space use and temporal activity within a Black-Footed Ferret
recovery site in western Kansas. M.Sc. Thesis. University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point,
WI. 60 pp.
212021 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, Special Issue 11
R.W. Perry, D.B. Sasse, J.C. Perkins, and N.W. Sharp
Appendix 1. State biologists, researchers, and individuals that provided data on Eastern
Spotted Skunk records collected during the period 2000−2020, alphabetized by state.
Person State Affiliation
Eric Odell CO Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Mark Danaher FL United States Fish and Wildlife Service
William Freund FL fStop Foundation, Inc.
Daniel Smith FL University of Central Florida
Stephen Harris FL Clemson University
Alexandra A. Gibson FL Angelo State University
Katrina Morris GA Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Vince Evelsizer IA Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Zachary Cordes KS Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism
Shelby Fulton KY Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves
Jennifer Hogue-Manuel LA Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Harry Spiker MD Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Gerda Nordquist MN Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Laura Conlee MO Missouri Department of Conservation
Janet Sternburg MO Missouri Department of Conservation
Katelin Cross MS Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
Ashley Hobbs NC North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Colleen Olfenbuttel NC North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Stephanie Tucker ND North Dakota Game and Fish
Shaun Dunn NE Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Matthew Fullerton OK Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
Greg Turner PA Pennsylvania Game Commission
David Scott Jachowski SC Clemson University
Jay Butfiloski SC South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Eileen Dowd-Stukel SD South Dakota Natural Heritage Program
Roger Applegate TN Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Josh Campbell TN Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Charles Pekins TX Fort Hood Natural Resources Management Branch
Robert C. Dowler TX Angelo State University
Michael L. Fies VA Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
W. Mark Ford VA United States Geological Service
Emily Thorne VA Virginia Tech University
Curtis Twellmann WI Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Richard E. Rogers WV West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
222021 Southeastern Naturalist Vol. 20, Special Issue 11
R.W. Perry, D.B. Sasse, J.C. Perkins, and N.W. Sharp
Appendix 2. Additional publications not cited in the literature cited that also presented
county data used to create distribution maps of Eastern Spotted Skunk locations since the
year 2000.
Eng, R.Y.Y, and D.S. Jachowski. 2019. Summer rest-site selection by Appalachian eastern
spotted skunks. Journal of Mammalogy. 100:1295–1304
Hackett, H.M. 2008. Occupancy modeling of forest carnivores in Missouri. Dissertation,
University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO.
Hawkins, N.R. 2012. Mesopredators in the blackland prairie of Texas: Occupancy, detec-
tion probability, and diversity in relation to landcover change. M.Sc. Thesis. Stephen F.
Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX. 228 pp.
Hardy, L.M. 2013. Eastern Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius) at the Ouachita Mountains
Biological Station, Polk County, Arkansas. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science
67:59−65.
Harris, S.N., T.J. Doonan, E.L. Hewett Rangheb, and D.S. Jachowski. 2019. Den-site selec-
tion by the Florida Spotted Skunk. Journal of Wildlife Management 84:127−137.
Lombardi, J.V., M.T. Mengak, and S.B. Castleberry. 2016. New records of the Eastern Spot-
ted Skunk in northwestern Virginia. Banisteria 46:25−27.
Sprayberry, T.R., and A.J Edelman. 2018. Den-site selection of Eastern Spotted Skunks in
the southern Appalachian Mountains. Journal of Mammalogy 99:242−251.
Stovall, E.A., and S.E. Hayslette. 2013. Activity patterns of Allegheny Woodrats in Tennes-
see. Southeastern Naturalist 12:748−756.
23You can also read
