| Hooded skunk | |
|---|---|
| Hooded skunk | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mephitidae |
| Genus: | Mephitis |
| Species: | M. macroura |
| Binomial name | |
| Mephitis macroura Lichtenstein 1832 |
|
| Hooded skunk range | |
The hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura) is a species of mammal in the family Mephitidae. It can be distinguished from the similar striped skunk (M. mephitis) by its longer tail and longer, softer coat of fur. A ruff of white fur around its neck gives the animal its common name. It is generally more white dorsally, and black ventrally, but two color variants exist. One type has an all-white back, while the other has a black back with two white longitudinal stripes.
The hooded skunk ranges from the Southwestern United States to Central America, but is most abundant in Mexico. It is found in grasslands, desert, and in the foothills of mountains, avoiding high elevations. It tends to live near a water source, such as a river.
The diet of the hooded skunk consists mostly of vegetation, especially prickly pear (Opuntia spp.), but it will readily consume insects and small rodents as well. It shelters in a burrow or a nest of thick plant cover during the day and is active at night. Its breeding season is in the late winter and the female bears an average litter of three young.