Spotted skunk

Spotted skunks (Spilogale spp.) were historically widespread across much of North America, but long-term harvest trends and anecdotal evidence suggested notable population declines, leading to a petition to list the plains spotted skunk (S. interrupta) under the Endangered Species Act. Although the plains spotted skunk was determined to be “not warranted” for protection, information regarding the distribution and ecology of plains spotted skunks is lacking across much of their distribution. Plains spotted skunks are rare and elusive, making them difficult to monitor. Cameras have become the predominant monitoring approach for spotted skunks, but low detection rates have limited success of monitoring programs. Consequently, we initiated a project with a robust study design to assess camera-based sampling strategies for plains spotted skunk and determine factors influencing spotted skunk occurrence. By addressing both detection and occurrence, this project will inform future monitoring strategies and management actions.