Spilogale interrupta (Rafinesque 1820)

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 : 10

Spilogale interrupta (Rafinesque 1820)

Plains Spotted Skunk

Spilogale interrupta occurs from the northeastern panhandle to extreme southern Texas and from eastern Texas through the eastern extent of the Edwards Plateau ( Schmidly and Bradley 2016). The species can be distinguished from S. leucoparia by less white in the tail, a smaller forehead spot, and more extensive black coloration on the dorsum (Schmidly and Bradly 2016, Figure 128). Since the 1940s, the species experienced a range-wide population decline ( Gompper and Hackett 2005; Gompper 2017) and it is ranked as a S1S3 (vulnerable, imperiled, or critically imperiled) species of greatest conservation need in Texas (TPWD 2020). Although S. interrupta appears to be uncommon in Texas, a recent study revealed viable populations in the Katy Prairie region of Harris and Waller counties and at Fort Hood Military Installation in Coryell and Bell counties (Perkins et al. in press). Moreover, Perry et al. (2021) reported verified presence data from 31 Texas counties (data range 2000– July 2020) and unverified presence data from five counties. Additional information on four county and four nonvouchered photographic records, all within the known range of the species in Texas, is reported here ( Fig. 3 ).

Three neonates were reported via wildlife rehabilitation records from Austin County; two subsequently died and were salvaged as specimens. A vehicle-killed skunk was salvaged from Parker County. A rabies-negative head was submitted by DSHS from Hood County. A partial coding sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b (cyt-b) gene was sequenced from a tissue-only sample from Wilbarger County ( Shaffer et al. 2018). Five individuals were captured and relocated from inside a private business in Eastland County and are reported as nonvouchered photographic records. One individual was detected by camera-trap in Shackelford County; because of camera malfunction, date for this record is listed as the two-week period between camera deployment and check. At least one individual was detected twice at spatially disjunct camera-traps in Stonewall County. Four neonates and 1 adult were reported via wildlife rehabilitation records from Throckmorton County ( Perry et al. 2021).

Specimens examined (5).— Austin County (2): male, 29 June 2020 ( ASNHC 20076 ) ; female, 29 June 2020 ( ASNHC 20266 ) . Hood County (1): 10 October 2019 ( ASNHC 20024 ) . Parker County (1): male, 06 April 2020, ca. 3.5 km N Cresson on US 377 (32.560995, -97.605203 ASNHC 20854 ) . Wilbarger County (1): 14 March 2016, Vernon, 1.1 km east of Main Street on HWY 70 (34.159324, -99.271481; ASK 11913; GB accession number MG753585.1 ) .

Records reported in PerrY et al. 2021 (13).— Eastland County (5): 05 October 2017 . Shackelford County (1): 16 – 31 October 2016 . Stonewall County (2): 10 August 2018; 24 September 2018 . Throckmorton County (5): 08 August 2018 (4 female, 1 male) .

Figures

Figure 3. Range map adapted from Schmidly and Bradley (2016) of Spilogale leucoparia (dark gray), S. interrupta (white), and areas of potential range overlap (light gray) in Texas (inset). Map indicates previous county records within a single species’ distribution (open circles – S. leucoparia, open squares – S. interrupta), new county records within a single species’ distribution (closed circles – S. leucoparia, closed squares – S. interrupta), and county records where both species have been documented (black diamonds). Nonvouchered photographic records are symbolized by a white star for S. leucoparia and a black star for S. interrupta. Counties noted by crosshatch represent new S. leucoparia records where S. interrupta was previously documented.