Geographic Range
Patagonian hog-nosed skunks are found in Chile and Argentina from 38 to 42 degrees
south to the Strait of Magellan.
- Biogeographic Regions
- neotropical
Habitat
Habitat use for Patagonian hog-nose skunks ranges from grass and shrub land to rocky
outcroppings. They may also be found around human dwellings (e.g. houses, sheds, etc.).
Conepatus humboldtii
is found at elevations from 200 to 700 m above sea level.
- Habitat Regions
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- savanna or grassland
- chaparral
- scrub forest
- mountains
- Other Habitat Features
- agricultural
Physical Description
Conepatus humboldtii
is approximately 50 to 60 cm in length counting the tail which is 15 to 18 centimeters
in length. These animals weigh between 1100 to 4500 g. Both males and females are
black and may have 1 or 2 stripes down the side of their bodies. They are sexually
dimorphic with the males being slightly larger.
Conepatus humboldtii
has a bare, broad, projecting face that lacks the thin white line down the middle.
This allows it to be easily distinguished from similar species of skunk.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- male larger
Development
C. humboldtii undergoes similar development as other mustelidae. At birth young weigh approximately one ounce. Growth to adulthood usually takes up to 3 months (Chapman and Feldhammer 1982).
Reproduction
The mating system of these animals has not been described.
Data are lacking on the breeding season of this species, but in congeneric
Conepatus mesoleucus
in Texas, reproduction usually occurs between February and March. Gestation for
C. humboldtii
lasts approximately 9 weeks. Patagonian hog-nosed skunks bear 3 to 7 altricial young.
The reason for such a small litter is believed to be the relatively small number of
mammae possessed by the females. Female Patagonian hog-nosed skunks have 3 pair of
mammae, as opposed to other species of skunks, which may have more. Young are not
“weaned” in the traditional sense, but simply stop nursing when able to take in a
regular diet.
The timing of sexual maturity in
C. humboldtii
is not known, but in
C. mesoleucus
has been reported as 10 to 11 months of age.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- delayed implantation
The parental care of this species has not been described. However, other skunks give
birth to altricial young, which are kept in a den or nest until they are able to walk
about. The mother provides the young with food in the form of milk, and protection.
- Parental Investment
- no parental involvement
- altricial
-
pre-fertilization
-
protecting
- female
-
protecting
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-independence
-
protecting
- female
-
protecting
Lifespan/Longevity
Little is known about the lifespan of
C. humboldtii
in the wild. However, similar species of hog-nosed skunk have lived up to 7 years
in captivity.
Behavior
Patagonian hog-nosed skunks are solitary creatures that are active mainly at night.
Home ranges of individual skunks may overlap and range from 9.7 ha to 16.4 ha. During
the daylight hours
C. humboldtii
seeks out burrows or dens for resting. It was observed that
C. humboldtii
never returned to the same den during the day. Patagonian hog-nosed skunks forage
exclusively in green grassy areas.
Home Range
Communication and Perception
Conepatus humboldtii
communicates by bodily gestures to ward off potential danger. This may be stamping
its feet or raising its rear in the air. Like other skunks, it is known to eject a
foul smelling secretion from its anal glands if threatened. Little is known of mating
behavior of
C. humboldtii
.
- Other Communication Modes
- scent marks
Food Habits
Patagonian hog-nosed skunks primarily eat insects. They may however feed on small
mammals, shrubs, and fruit in addition to insects.
- Primary Diet
- carnivore
- Animal Foods
- birds
- mammals
- amphibians
- reptiles
- fish
- eggs
- insects
- terrestrial non-insect arthropods
- Plant Foods
- seeds, grains, and nuts
- fruit
Predation
Conepatus humboldtii
has no real natural predators, although certain species of skunks have been preyed
upon by raptors such as great-horned owls. The lack of natural predators may be in
fact due to the skunk’s ability to emit a powerful smelling musk out of anal glands
on its rear end.
There are reports that hog-nosed skunks in the Andes are immune to the venum of pit
vipers. This might indicate an historic case of predation on these skunks by snakes
which is no longer of importance, or it may indicate that the skunks prey on pit vipers.
Ecosystem Roles
C. humboldtii
probably affects populations of insects and other small mammals it preys upon. To
the extent that it digs in the soil for burrowing or to locate its insect prey, this
species probably also helps to aerate the soil.
- Ecosystem Impact
- soil aeration
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
The pelts of hog-nosed skunk were exported a great deal between 1960 and 1980. The
pelts of
C. humboldtii
were thought to be of lesser value than other
Conepatus
species. In 1983,
C. humboldtii
was protected against export in Argentina and Chile. These animals are apparently
still used in the pet trade.
- Positive Impacts
- pet trade
- body parts are source of valuable material
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
These anmals are not reported to have any negative economic impact on humans.
Conservation Status
Conepatus humboldtii
is listed on the CITES appendix II.
Other Comments
Very little is known about this particular species of hog-nosed skunk (e.g. population density, mating system, etc.). More research into the natural history of this species is required for complete understanding.
Additional Links
Contributors
Nancy Shefferly (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
Weylan Shaw (author), Humboldt State University, Brian Arbogast (editor), Humboldt State University.
- Neotropical
-
living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- tropical savanna and grassland
-
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
- savanna
-
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
- temperate grassland
-
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
- chaparral
-
Found in coastal areas between 30 and 40 degrees latitude, in areas with a Mediterranean climate. Vegetation is dominated by stands of dense, spiny shrubs with tough (hard or waxy) evergreen leaves. May be maintained by periodic fire. In South America it includes the scrub ecotone between forest and paramo.
- scrub forest
-
scrub forests develop in areas that experience dry seasons.
- mountains
-
This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.
- agricultural
-
living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- delayed implantation
-
in mammals, a condition in which a fertilized egg reaches the uterus but delays its implantation in the uterine lining, sometimes for several months.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- solitary
-
lives alone
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- scent marks
-
communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether others can smell or taste them
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- soil aeration
-
digs and breaks up soil so air and water can get in
- pet trade
-
the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets.
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- insectivore
-
An animal that eats mainly insects or spiders.
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
References
Chapman, J., G. Feldhamer. 1982. Wild Animals of North America. Biology, Management, and Economics . Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Fuller, T., W. Johnson, W. Franklin, K. Johnson. 1987. Journal of Mammology , 68(4): 864-867.
Nowak, R. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Sixth Edition . Baltimore and London: John's Hopkins University Press.
Zapata, S., A. Travaini, R. Martinez-Peck. 2001. Acta Theriologica , 46(1): 97-102.