Skunk lovers, this entry was definitely for you, since the striped skunk's scientific name is Mephitis mephitis; those with medical knowledge (alternative, that is) might recognize mephitis as basically a diluted extract of skunk spray, as a treatment for a vast range of diseases.
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As a further reminder that the ancients were just like us, Mephitis was the Roman goddess of bad smells, and there were temples to honor her on Mount Vesuvius (which belched up all sorts of gases), presumably on all sides, in an effort not to run AFOUL of her powers.
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They are short-lived; their lifespan in the wild can reach seven years, with most living only up to a year.ADW: Mephitis mephitis: INFORMATION. Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu. Retrieved on April 5, 2012.Virtual Nature Trail.
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Wade-Smith, J. & Verts, B. J. (1982). "Mephitis mephitis" (PDF). Mammalian Species 173 : 1–7. During this period, the striped skunk saves its energy by lowering its body temperature from 38 °C to 32 °C.
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The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is a skunk of the genus Mephitis that occurs across most of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on account of its wide range and ability to adapt to human-modified environments. Striped skunks are polygamous omnivores with few natural predators, save for birds of prey. Like all skunks, they possess highly developed, musk-filled scent glands to ward off predators.
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Mephitis was the Roman goddess of noxious vapors, who protects against malaria. The adjective "" means "foul-smelling" or "malodorous".
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Other predators include birds (marsh hawks, Circus cyaneus, and barred owls, Strix varia); snakes (cottonmouths, Agkistrodon piscivorus, and others), alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), and carnivorans (raccoons, Procyon lotor; red foxes, Vulpes vulpes; minks, Neovison vison; weasels of the genus Mustela; and striped skunks, Mephitis mephitis).Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998, p. 281; Wolfe, 1982, pp.
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Albuquerque, NM Potential mammalian predators may include the coyote (Canis latrans), common gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), swift fox (Vulpes velox), ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), American marten (Martes americana), fisher (Martes pennanti), ermine (Mustela erminea), long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura), white-backed hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus leuconotus), northern raccoon (Procyon lotor), bobcat (Lynx rufus), and ocelot (Leopardus pardalis).Laudenslayer, William F., Jr.; Fargo, Roberta J. 2002. Small mammal populations and ecology in the Kings River Sustainable Forest Ecosystems Project area. In: Verner, Jared, tech. ed.
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Due to their poor sense of smell, great horned owls are the only predators to routinely attack these bold mammals with impunity. All six skunk species found in North America are reported as prey, including adult striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), which can be three times as heavy as the attacking owl.Huey, L. M. (1931). Skunks as Prey for Owls.
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Luteimonas mephitis is a yellow-pigmented bacterium and the type species of its genus. Its type strain is B1953/27.1T (= DSM 12574T).
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The small mandibular ramus of a musteline referred by Dr. Roth to Mephitis suffocans, does not pertain to this genus and species.
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The striped skunk was first formally named by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber as Viverra mephitis. The type locality is in eastern Canada.
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Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) in defensive posture with erect and puffed tail, indicating that it may be about to spray. Skunks are notorious for their anal scent glands, which they can use as a defensive weapon. They are similar to, though much more developed than, the glands found in species of the family Mustelidae. Skunks have two glands, one on each side of the anus.
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Mink (Mustela vison), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), red fox (Vulpes fulva), and coyote (Canis latrans) also hunt within the estuary. Beaver (Castor canadensis) and muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) are occasionally seen swimming in tidal creeks. A few harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) haul-out sites exist on the Brave Boat harbor, Lower Wells, Mousam River and Goose Rocks divisions. Peak use occurs during the winter, but individuals are observed throughout the year.
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Raccoons (Procyon lotor) and skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are mesopredators. Here they share cat food in a suburban backyard. The mesopredator release hypothesis is an ecological theory used to describe the interrelated population dynamics between apex predators and mesopredators within an ecosystem, such that a collapsing population of the former results in dramatically-increased populations of the latter. This hypothesis describes the phenomenon of trophic cascade in specific terrestrial communities.
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A tame striped skunk Mephitis mephitis, the striped skunk, is the most social skunk and the one most commonly kept as a pet. In the US, skunks can legally be kept as pets in 17 states. When a skunk is kept as a pet, its scent glands are often surgically removed. In the UK, skunks can be kept as pets, but the Animal Welfare Act 2006 made it illegal to remove their scent glands.
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Scavenging may provide a direct and indirect method for transmitting disease between animals. Scavengers of infected carcasses may become hosts for certain pathogens and consequently vectors of disease themselves. An example of this phenomenon is the increased transmission of tuberculosis observed when scavengers engage in eating infected carcasses. Likewise, the ingestion of bat carcasses infected with rabies by striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) resulted in increased infection of these organisms with the virus.
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Mammals of other orders are taken quite infrequently, with a low volume of shrews and moles reported. Cooper's hawks are considered a potential predator of the smaller species of weasel and were recorded in Florida to kill a striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) kit estimated to weigh about .Linnell, M. A., Epps, C. W., Forsman, E. D., & Zielinski, W. J. (2017). Survival and predation of weasels (Mustela erminea, Mustela frenata) in North America.
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Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) in defensive posture with erect and puffed tail, indicating it may be about to spray. Vertebrates can also biosynthesize defensive chemicals or sequester them from plants or prey. Sequestered compounds have been observed in frogs, natricine snakes, and two genera of birds, Pitohui and Ifrita. It is suspected that some well-known compounds such as batrachotoxins from poison frogs in the family Dendrobatidae and tetrodotoxin produced by newts and pufferfish are derived from invertebrate prey.
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However, more formidable prey such as adult raccoons and subadult beavers are sometimes attacked. In the Chesapeake Bay area, bald eagles are reportedly the main natural predators of raccoons. Other relatively large mammalian prey known to be taken by bald eagles (at least rarely) as adults include Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus), red and Arctic foxes (Vulpes vulpes & Vulpes lagopus) and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis).Mabie, D. W., Merendino, M. T., & Reid, D. H. (1995).
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The hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura) is a species of mammal in the family Mephitidae. Mephītis in Latin means "foul odor", μακρός (makrós) in Greek translates to "long" and οὐρά (ourá) translates to "tail".
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With a total length of , the western spotted skunk is smaller than the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). Males, which weigh , are significantly heavier than females, at , but only about 6% longer, on average. The adult is boldly striped black and creamy white, with three longitudinal stripes on each side of the front part of the body, and three vertical stripes on the hind-parts. One pair of longitudinal stripes runs either side of the spine, with the second pair running over the shoulders, and extending forward onto the face.
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The North Fork River is also main attraction for visitors to the area. There are three springs within Devils Backbone that feed the North Fork (Blue, Amber, and McGarr). There is even a canoe launch for the river which offers smallmouth bass, blue gill, and rock bass angling opportunities. For those interested in wildlife, White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginiana), red and grey fox (Vulpes vulpes and Urycyon cinereoargenteus), bobcats (Lynx rufus), skunks (Mephitis mephitis), squirrels (Sciurus niger and S. carolinensis), coyotes (Canis latrans), and raccoons (Procyon lotor) can be seen roaming the limestone glades.
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Hog-nosed skunk The distinguishing feature of the American hog-nosed skunk is it has a single, broad white stripe from the top of the head to the base of the tail, with the tail itself being completely white. It is the only skunk that lacks a white dot or medial bar between the eyes and has primarily black body fur. The snout of C. leuconotus is relatively long, with a naked nose pad, and resembles the nose of a small hog. The nose pad (20 mm wide by 25 mm long) is about three times wider than that of Mephitis mephitis.
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Larger carnivoran remains are sometimes found amongst their foods, but most are likely taken as juveniles or smaller range adults, or otherwise consumed only as carrion. Some of the relatively larger carnivorans red-tailed hawks have been known to eat have included red fox ( Vulpes vulpes), kit fox (Vulpes macrotis), white-nosed coati (Nasua narica), raccoon (Procyon lotor), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus).Bildstein, K. L. (1987). Behavioral ecology of red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), rough-legged hawks (Buteo lagopus), northern harriers (Circus cyaneus), and American kestrels (Falco sparverius) in south central Ohio (No.
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If the skink cannot escape from a predator by concealment or flight, it can afford to lose its tail in order to escape with its life. Similarly, some species of grasshopper are well-camouflaged when at rest but flash vivid colouration when flying. The grasshopper thus avoids being eaten while the potential predator hunts in vain for the brightly coloured insect it saw. Skunk, Mephitis mephitis, advertising its powerful defences by raising its tail and displaying its aposematic coloration Male crickets chirp to attract females, and in some species, their calls can be heard from great distances.
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Common predators of blue- winged teal include humans, snakes, snapping turtles (Chlycha serpentina), dogs, cats, muskellunge, American crows (Corvus brachyrhnchos), magpies (Pica spp.), ground squirrels, coyotes (Canis latrans), red foxes (Vulpes fulva), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), raccoons (Procyon lotor), long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata), American minks (Mustela vison), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius), and American badgers (Taxidea taxus). During one study, about half of the nest failures of blue- winged teal were caused by mammals. Striped and Spotted Skunks were responsible for two-thirds of these losses. All nest losses caused by birds were attributed to either crows or magpies.
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As such, he wrote many books, and treatises on "mephitis". It led to the removal of the Cemetery of Innocents in the heart of Paris. Disappointed by political life, he devoted himself to fighting hunger and his agronomy research. He instigated the first agricultural fair.
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Likewise corvids such as the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata),E.g. : Bachynski & Kadlec (2003) and large climbing rodents, notably the American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). Carnivores, in particular members of the Musteloidea, including the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata) and common raccoon (Procyon lotor); the red fox (Vulpes vulpes); and domestic or feral cats, are similarly opportunistic predators. All these pose little threat to the nimble, non-nesting adults, which are taken by certain smallish and agile birds such as the American kestrel (Falco sparverius) and Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii), and the sharp-shinned hawk (A. striatus).
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Other major mammalian predators include the badger (Taxidea taxus), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), weasels (Mustela spp.), marten (Martes americana), domestic dog (Canis familiaris), domestic cat (Felis catus) and mountain lion. Other animals reported to have ingested voles include trout (Salmo spp.), Pacific giant salamander (Dicampton ensatus), garter snake (Thamnophis spp.), yellow- bellied racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris), gopher snake (Pituophis melanoleucas), rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis), and rubber boa (Charina bottae). In northern prairie wetlands, meadow voles are a large portion of the diets of red fox (Vulpes vulpes), mink (Mustela vison), short-eared owl, and northern harrier (Circus cyaneus). Voles (Microtus spp.) are frequently taken by racers (Coluber spp.); racers and voles often use the same burrows.
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The most prominent wildlife species which may be found are coyote (Canis latrans), hare, striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), Richardson's ground squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii), snowshoe hare, cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides), Franklin's ground squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii) and red fox. The Aspen Parkland is the environment of choice for the white-tailed deer. jack rabbit The Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregion is characterized by white-tailed deer, pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), coyote, rabbit, American badger (Taxidea taxus), red bat (Lasiurus borealis) and ground squirrel such as black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus). Animal populations of the Mixed Grassland enumerate pronghorn, white-tailed and mule deer, long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis), small-footed myotis (Myotis subulatus), jack rabbit, coyote, Richardson's ground squirrel.
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About wintering of Snowy Owl in the Kurgaldga Nature Reserve. On the Kuril Islands, wintering snowy owls main foods were reported as tundra voles, brown rats, ermines and whimbrel, in roughly that order. Data from the Logan Airport in over 6,000 pellets shows that meadow vole and brown rat predominated the diet in the area, supplanted by assorted birds both small and large. American black ducks were primarily taken among bird species with other birds taken here including relatively large and diverse species Canada geese (Branta canadensis), brants, American herring gulls (Larus argentatus), double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), great blue heron (Ardea herodias), in addition to some formidable mammals such as house cat, American mink (Mustela vision), and striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis).
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Trout (Oncorhynchus), smelt (Osmeridae), grey mullet (Mugilidae) are fish species of the national park. Birds like white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), European green woodpecker (Picus viridis), owl (Strigiformes), grey heron (Ardea cinerea), European cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), kingfisher (Coraciiformes), black stork (Ciconia nigra)) and hoopoe (Upupa epops) are observed in the area. Among the mammals are wildcat (Felis silvestris), wild boar (Sus scrofa), hare (Lepus), European pine marten (Martes martes), European badger (Meles meles), grey wolf (Canis lupus), deer (Cervidae), fox (Vulpes vulpes), European otter (Lutra lutra), yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis), weasel (Mustela), big-eared bat (Micronycteris), and variegated skunk (Mephitis mephitis). As reptiles Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni), southern crested newt (Triturus karelinii), lizard (Lacertilia), asp (Vipera aspis), earringed water snake (Acrochordidae) are found in the area.
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Predatory mammals known to live in the Caja del Rio include black bear (Ursus americanus), mountain lion (Felis concolor), bobcat (Lynx rufus), coyote (Canis latrans), fox (Vulpes spp.), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), badger (Taxidea taxus), long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata), western spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis), and striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). Non-predatory mammals known to be present include Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), raccoon (Procyon lotor), porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), desert cottontail, (Sylvilagus auduboni), white-throated woodrat (Neotoma albigula), Botta's pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae), Colorado chipmunk (Neotamias quadrivittatus), pinyon mouse (Peromyscus truei), and deer mouse (Peromyscus spp.). Sensitive mammalian species known to be present at the Caja include Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni). A small herd of wild horses (consisting of approximately 50 individuals) lives year round on the plateau.
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Non-salmonid species in the watershed include the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata), and sculpin (Cottus spp.). Birds of special concern include the marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) and northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) because of their close association with old- growth and mature redwood forest, which has been heavily impacted by timber harvest since the late 19th century. Eighty-two mammal species are predicted to be found in the Noyo River watershed including several rodents, bats, and squirrels, beaver (Castor canadensis), black bear (Ursus americanus), ring-tailed cat (Bassariscus astutus), American marten (Martes americana), fisher (Martes pennanti), weasels, American badger (Taxidea taxus), western spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis) and striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), mountain lion (Puma concolor), bobcat (Lynx rufus), seals and sea lions, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and elk (Cervus elaphus). However, recent surveys have found no fishers or martens.
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Native mammals that coexist with the Tehuantepec jackrabbit are the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), the hooded and western hog-nosed skunks (Mephitis macroura, Conepatus mesoleucus), the Virginia opossum (Didelphis marsupialis), the gray mouse opossum (Tlacuatzin canescens), the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), the common raccoon (Procyon lotor), and the coyote (Canis latrans). Of these, the gray fox and the coyote are native predators of the Tehuantepec jackrabbit.
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There was a temple dedicated to her in Cremona, and another on the Esquiline Hill in Rome. It is theorized that Mefitis was originally a goddess of underground sources, such as natural springs—the fact that many of these springs were sulfurous led to her association with noxious gases. She is almost always identified with volcanoes, having been worshipped at Pompeii. Her name, which likely means "one who smokes in the middle", is also seen as Mephitis.
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Ampsanctus, or Amsanctus (modern: Sorgente Mefita) was a small lake in the territory of the Hirpini, km south of Aeclanum, close to the Via Appia (southern Italy). There are now two small pools which exhale carbonic acid gas and hydrogen sulfide. Close by was a temple of the goddess Mephitis, with a cave from which suffocating vapors rose, and for this reason the place was brought into connection with the legends of the infernal regions. Virgil's description (Aeneid, vii.
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Lett had profound knowledge of local natural history and the Canadian wilderness derived from his lifelong passions for hunting and fishing. He published and lectured extensively and learnedly in zoology throughout the second half of the 19th century including detailed papers and observations on the wolf,Lett, W. P. The Wolf (Canis Lupus), The Ottawa Naturalist, vol.4–6, p.75-91 American skunk,Lett, W. P. The American Skunk (Mephitis mephitica), The Ottawa Naturalist, vol.1–3, p.
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Paternity, Relatedness, and Socio-Reproductive Behavior in a Population of Wild Red-Bellied Tamarins (Saguinus labiatus). Ann Arbor, Michigan: ProQuest Information and Learning Company. Prey species can be heavier than the preying owl, weigh over , possibly up to in Didelphis opossums, Mephitis skunks and agoutis (Dasyprocta ssp.). Even the three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) has been reported to have been killed, specifically an adult female estimated at in weight or more than four times the weight of the owl itself.
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It is found in the Himalayas, including southern China, Nepal, Bhutan, India, and Pakistan. Fossil species of the family are also found in North America. Family Mephitidae (skunks and stink badgers) was once classified as mustelids, but are now recognized as a lineage in their own right. The 12 species of skunks are divided into four genera: Mephitis (hooded and striped skunks, two species), Spilogale (spotted skunks, four species), Mydaus (stink badgers, two species) and Conepatus (hog-nosed skunks, four species).
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It can be distinguished from the similar striped skunk (M. mephitis) by its longer tail and longer, much softer coat of fur, and larger tympanic bullae. A ruff of white fur around its neck gives the animal its common name. Three color phases are known and in all three, a thin white medial stripe is present between the eyes: black-backed with two lateral white stripes, white-backed with one dorsal white stripe, or entirely black with a few white hairs in the tail.
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Mephitidae is a family of mammals comprising the skunks and stink badgers. They are noted for the great development of their anal scent glands, which they use to deter predators. There are twelve extant species of mephitids in four genera: Conepatus (hog-nosed skunks, four species); Mephitis (the hooded and striped skunks, two species); Mydaus (stink badgers, two species); and Spilogale (spotted skunks, four species). The two stink badgers in the genus Mydaus inhabit Indonesia and the Philippines; the other members of the family inhabit the Americas, ranging from Canada to central South America.
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The etymology of the name Mefitis is controversial but according to the Italian linguist Alberto Manco the system of the epithets that identified the goddess from place to place would prove her relationship with a water-based dimension.Alberto Manco, "Mefītis: gli epiteti", AION Linguistica 31/2009, 301-312. In Roman mythology, Mefitis (or Mephitis; Mefite in Italian) was the Minor Goddess of the poisonous gases emitted from the ground in swamps and volcanic vapors. "Mephitic", derived from Mefitis, is now an adjective in the English language meaning "offensive in odour"; "noxious"; and "poisonous".
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Most mephitids are long, plus a tail, though the pygmy spotted skunk can be as small as 11 cm (4 in) plus a 7 cm (3 in) tail, and some striped skunks can be up to 82 cm (32 in) plus a 40 cm (16 in) tail. No estimates have been made for overall population sizes of any of the species, but two species are classified as vulnerable. Mephetids in general are not domesticated, though skunks are sometimes kept as pets. The twelve species of Mephitidae are split into four genera: the monotypic Conepatus, hog-nosed skunks; Mephitis, skunks; Mydaus, stink badgers; and Spilogale, spotted skunks.
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Archaerhineura was a genus of amphisbaenian lizards in the family Rhineuridae that is now extinct. The only species is Archaerhineura mephitis, named in 2015 on the basis of a single fragment of the lower jaw from the Polecat Bench Formation in Park County, Wyoming, which dates to the late Paleocene (about 57 to 58 million years ago). Archaerhineura is one of the oldest amphisbaenians and was part of an evolutionary radiation of Rhineuridae in the Paleocene several million years after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event (the only surviving member of Rhineuridae is Rhineura floridana, which lives in Florida). This rhineurid radiation coincided with the radiation of another group of amphisbaenians, Amphisbaeniformes, which includes the still-extant families Blanidae and Amphisbaenidae.
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Cacti and semi-arid vegetation predominate in the hills above the canyon, with pine trees at the higher elevations. The rugged peaks have a great deal of biological diversity. Among the plant species to be found are yucca (Yucca spp), mesquite (Prosopis spp.), tall cacti called “viejitos” (little old ones) (Cephalocereus senilis), named so because their upper spines whiten and flatten, creating a grey-hair- like look, gumbo-limbos (Bursera simaruba), poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) as well as the abundant magueys that have been used for centuries to make pulque, a fermented beverage. Animals that can be seen include raccoons (Procyon lotor), greater roadrunners (Geococcyx californianus), hooded skunks (Mephitis macroura), white-nosed coatis (Nasua narica) and white-winged doves (Zenaida asiatica).
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