Mephitis macroura LicHtenstein, 1832

Jefferson, Kamren P., Garcia, S. Leigh Ann, Krejsa, Dianna M., Perkins, J. Clint, Stevens, Skyler, Matlack, Raymond S. & Dowler, Robert C., 2022, Noteworthy Records, Range Extensions, And Conservation Status Of Skunk Species In Texas, Occasional Papers of the Museum 384, pp. 1-16 : 4-6

Mephitis macroura LicHtenstein, 1832

Hooded Skunk

MepHitis macroura closely resembles M. mepHi - tis but can be identified by its longer, softer fur and a distinct ruff of longer hair on the upper neck, as well as by its striping pattern. This skunk species is quite variable with three different color patterns: upperparts black with two narrow, lateral white stripes; upperparts mostly white, with a broad white band extending from between the eyes to the tail, and sides black; an intermediate phase with a single broad white band on the back and two narrow lateral white stripes. All three patterns share a thin, medial white stripe between the eyes ( Ten Hwang and Larivière 2001; Schmidly and Bradley 2016).

MepHitis macroura occurs from Costa Rica north to the southwestern United States. In Texas, records of the subspecies, M. macroura milleri , are known only from the Trans-Pecos region ( Schmidly and Bradley 2016). The species is considered rare in Texas with a specimen last collected in 1999 ( Yancey et al. 2017), leading some mammalogists to believe that M. mac - roura may be extirpated in Texas (Schmidly and Bradley 2016). We report on five recent observations from camera-trap data that document M. macroura in Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas, within the past ten years. A camera-trap study in Big Bend National Park ( Stevens 2017) revealed two records in 2014 ( Fig. 2 ). A third image from a camera-trap survey on Mount Emory was taken in April 2019 (L. Ammerman, pers. comm.). Two images, one from February 2021 (not shown) and a second from June 2021 ( Fig. 2 ) show M. macroura at Pine Canyon Spring. Although there are no iNaturalist observations of M. macroura in Texas, several are documented in the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Coahuila. Four confirmed iNaturalist observations of M. macroura are documented within 50 km of the border with Texas in the last 10 years (11 September 2011 – 6 November 2019), supporting the liklihood of occupancy of the Hooded Skunk in Texas.

Because of its constrained distribution in Texas, M. macroura is listed as an S1S2 species of greatest conservation need, but has a global conservation status of G5 (TPWD 2020). S1S2 indicates “critically imperiled or imperiled” and G5 indicates “secure”. MepHitis macroura should be considered rare in Texas, and further studies that consistently monitor vehicle-killed skunks or use camera-traps may provide a better assessment of the status of this species in the state.

NonVoucHered pHotograpHic records (5).—Brewster County, Big Bend National Park (5): 7 September 2014, Juniper Canyon; 13 October 2014, Mule Ears;

27 April 2019, Mount Emory; 5 February 2021, Pine Canyon Spring; 13 June 2021, Pine Canyon Spring.

Figures

Figure 2. Camera-trap images of MepHitis macroura in Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas: A) image taken near Mount Emory by L. K.Ammerman; B) image taken near Pine Canyon Spring by T.Athens and B. Masters; C) image taken near Juniper Canyon by S. Stevens; D) image taken near Mule Ears area by S. Stevens. These images present strong evidence of the species in Texas and warrant further investigation and verification with vouchered specimens.