Plains Spotted Skunk - Species Profile
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
|
|||
| IUCN Red List | VU - Vulnerable |
|||
| NatureServe | N4 - Apparently Secure S2 - Imperiled |
|||
| Minnesota | Threatened Species in Greatest Conservation Need Despite intensive efforts to locate them, a maximum of six Eastern Spotted Skunks have been documented in the last 20 years in Minnesota. |
|||
Description
Plains Spotted Skunk is a small, slender skunk. It is shaped like a weasel. It has four narrow white stripes that break into spots on the hindquarters.
Size
Total length: 18″ to 27″
Sign
Similar Species
Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is larger and stockier. Its shape is more like a cat. It has two white stripes that join together in a V shape at the shoulders.
Habitat
Open and brushy areas, especially agricultural areas.
Ecology
Behavior
Lifespan
10 years in captivity
Life Cycle
Food
Small mammals, especially House Mouse in agricultural areas.
Distribution |
||
|
Sources Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 12/12/2025). Hazard, Evan B. 1982. The Mammals of Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 280 pp. The counties in light green lack modern records but have historic county or township specimens or records. The counties in dark green are all from the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas. The event dates of the records are withheld. Some of them may be from more than 35 years ago, when only 4 animals were documented in the state. |
|
| 12/12/2025 | ||
Occurrence |
||
Rare in Minnesota. |
||
Taxonomy
Class
Subclass
Theria
Infraclass
Placentalia (Placental Mammals)
Magnorder
Boreoeutheria
Superorder
Laurasiatheria (Ungulates, Carnivorans, and Allies)
Order
Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Suborder
Caniformia (Dog-like Carnivores)
Infraorder
Arctoidea
Parvorder
Mustelida
Family
Mephitidae (Skunks and Stink Badgers)
Subfamily
Mephitinae (True Skunks)
Genus
Spilogale (Spotted Skunks)
Species
This species was formerly known as prairie spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius interrupta). A recent phylogenetic study of spotted skunks (McDonough et al., 2022) resulted in a major taxonomic revision. It showed that the four species in the genus Spilogale actually represents seven distinct species. Spilogale putorius interrupta was to full species status. The name Spilogale putorius is now the Alleghnian spotted skunk, which occurs in the southeastern US except the east coast and the Appalachians north into Pennsylvania.
Subordinate Taxa
Synonyms
Mephitis interrupta
Mephitis quaterlinearis
Spilogale indianola
Spilogale putorius interrupta
Common Names
Plains Spotted Skunk
