Spotted Skunk

The spotted skunk is the smaller cousin of stripped skunk. I have seen little of their sign (including road kills) in this region, leading me to suspect that they are less common than the striped skunk. However, it may simply reflect the fact that they prefer forest and woodlands, thus we are less likely to see their sign than the stripped skunk which tends to live in agricultural and sparsely inhabited areas.

I found this poor fellow along a bike path.

Foot

Like other mustelids, this skunk has five toes and multiple lobes in the interdigital pad. Be sure to note the relatively long nails characteristic of a digger.

Track

Single tracks tend to have the 1-3-1 pattern typical of the weasel family.

Gait

The typical gait is a diagonal walk with a stride of 6-9" and a straddle of 5-6". The pattern is often quite sloppy compared to other wild animals.

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