Ecological and behavioral relationships of the skunks of Trans Pecos Texas

Abstract

Field work on the ecological and behavioral relationships or the tour species of skunks of Trans Pecos Texas was initiated in June 1968 and concluded in June 1973. The bulk of the research was conducted on a permanent study area near Balmorhea, Reeves County, Texas. The four species of skunks inhabiting Trans Pecos (Spilogale gracilis, Mephitis mephitis, M. macroura, and Conepatus mesoleucus) are carnivorous throughout the year with a diet consisting primarily of insects. The amount of vertebrate and plant material eaten increases in the fall of the year. S. gracilis, the smallest of the four species, is an adept climber and is able to feed in places that are inaccessible to the other species of skunks. M. mephitis is the largest and most widely distributed of the skunks in the region. Insect material made up 78.07 per cent of the diet of striped skunks over a twelve month period. M. macroura is smaller and is apparently in the process of extending its range throughout Trans Pecos Texas. The diet of M. macroura consisted of 74.30 per cent insects by volume. C. mesoleucus, only slightly smaller than M. mephitis, is highly adapted for digging in rugged terrain and has well developed olfaction. It feeds on more larval insect forms than do the other three species. S. gracilis and C. mesoleucus are able to utilize rougher, rockier terrain than the other species. ...