Spilogale, commonly called the spotted skunks, is a genus in the skunk family Mephitidae, order Carnivora, established by Gray in 1865. Its members are relatively small, black skunks variously patterned with white stripes and blotches, with males notably larger than females and possessing considerably longer tails. As of 2025 the genus contains seven recognized species, based on recent phylogenomic studies. The genus occurs throughout most of the United States except the northeastern region, eastern coastal areas and Montana with neighboring states, reaching into Canada near Minnesota and British Columbia, and through most of Mexico and into Central America as far as El Salvador while avoiding most Caribbean coasts. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Classification
Living or Extinct Taxonomic Rank Connections
Parent Taxon Of
Source Eastern Spotted Skunk (Wikidata)
Source Western Spotted Skunk (Wikidata)
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Belize, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Costa Rica, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: El Salvador, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Guatemala, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Honduras, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Mexico, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Nicaragua, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Panama, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: United States, found in there.
Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ1154492, descriptionView the Source 2. Spilogale (Wikipedia)
Introduction
Spotted skunks are species of skunk belonging to the genus Spilogale.
- Taxonomic rank (structure-wave classification, ruling 761/926)
View the SourceWikidata: Spilogale
Wikidata Q1154492, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Western Spotted Skunk (Wikidata)
WikidataParent Taxon Of: Western Spotted Skunk, Wikidata P171 (parent taxon) claim, rank=normal, target=Q1154492 (Spilogale)View the Source Eastern Spotted Skunk (Wikidata)
WikidataParent Taxon Of: Eastern Spotted Skunk, Wikidata P171 (parent taxon) claim, rank=normal, target=Q1154492 (Spilogale)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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