BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary
Spilogale gracilis
Western Spotted Skunk
| Scientific Name: | Spilogale gracilis Merriam, 1890 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Name: | Western Spotted Skunk | ||||||||||
| Classification / Taxonomy | |||||||||||
| Scientific Name - Concept Reference: | Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23. | ||||||||||
| Classification Level: | Species | ||||||||||
| Species Group: | Vertebrate Animal | ||||||||||
| Species Code: | M-SPGR | ||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
| Conservation Status / Legal Designation | |||||||||||
| Global Status: | G5 | ||||||||||
| Provincial Status: | S2S3 (Apr 2023) | ||||||||||
| BC List: | Blue | ||||||||||
| Provincial FRPA list: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Wildlife Act: | |||||||||||
| COSEWIC Status: | |||||||||||
| SARA Schedule: | |||||||||||
| General Status Canada: | 4 - Secure (2005) | ||||||||||
| Ecology & Life History | |||||||||||
| General Description: | |||||||||||
| Global Reproduction Comments: | Females breed during late September-October. Implantation is delayed, total gestation period lasts 210-230 days. Litter size is 4-6. Young leave nest about 1 month after birth, follow mother until almost full grown. Sexually mature in 4-5 months. | ||||||||||
| Global Ecology Comments: | Adults are essentially solitary. | ||||||||||
| Migration Characteristics: (Global / Provincial) | |||||||||||
|
Nonmigrant: Local Migrant: Distant Migrant: Within Borders Migrant: |
Y / N / N / na / |
||||||||||
| Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence) |
Agriculture / Cultivated Field / Facultative - frequent use
Agriculture / Hedgerow / Facultative - frequent use Agriculture / Pasture/Old Field / Facultative - frequent use Anthropogenic / Urban/Suburban / Facultative - occasional use Forest / Conifer Forest - Dry / Facultative - frequent use Forest / Conifer Forest - Mesic (average) / Facultative - frequent use Forest / Conifer Forest - Moist/wet / Facultative - frequent use Forest / Mixed Forest (deciduous/coniferous mix) / Facultative - frequent use Grassland/Shrub / Meadow / Facultative - frequent use Other Unique Habitats / Avalanche Track / Facultative - occasional use Riparian / Gravel Bar / Facultative - frequent use Riparian / Riparian Forest / Facultative - frequent use Riparian / Riparian Herbaceous / Facultative - frequent use Riparian / Riparian Shrub / Facultative - frequent use Rock/Sparsely Vegetated Rock / Rock/Sparsely Vegetated Rock / Facultative - occasional use Rock/Sparsely Vegetated Rock / Talus / Facultative - occasional use Subterranean / Sub-soil / Facultative - occasional use |
||||||||||
| Global Habitat Comments: | Brushy canyons, rocky outcrops (rimrock) on hillsides and walls of canyons. In semi-arid brushlands in U.S., in wet tropical forests in Mexico. When inactive or bearing young, occupies den in rocks, burrow, hollow log, brush pile, or under building. | ||||||||||
| Food Habits: |
Carnivore: Adult, Immature
Frugivore: Adult, Immature Invertivore: Adult, Immature |
||||||||||
| Global Food Habits Comments: | Insects, rodents, small birds, and possibly bird eggs constitute most of diet (Ingles 1965). Reptiles and amphibian s also taken (Leopold 1959), as are many types of fruits and berries. | ||||||||||
| Global Phenology: |
Nocturnal: Adult, Immature
|
||||||||||
| Global Phenology Comments: | More nocturnal than is striped skunk, rarely seen abroad during daylight hours. Active throughout the year. | ||||||||||
| Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month) |
|||||||||||
| Colonial Breeder: | N | ||||||||||
| Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): | 450/ / 630 | ||||||||||
| Elevation (m) (min / max): |
Global:
Provincial: |
||||||||||
| Distribution | |||||||||||
| Endemic: | N | ||||||||||
| Global Range Comment: | Range extends from southern British Columbia, Montana, and northern Wyoming southward through most of the western United States and into Mexico and Central America (south to Costa Rica). Range barely enters the Great Plains. | ||||||||||
| Authors / Contributors | |||||||||||
| Global Information Author: | Hammerson, G. | ||||||||||
| Last Updated: | Sep 20, 1995 | ||||||||||
| Provincial Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | |||||||||||
| References and Related Literature | |||||||||||
| No references available | |||||||||||
Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 1995. Species Summary: Spilogale gracilis. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 10, 2026).