NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Western Spotted Skunk
Spilogale gracilis Merriam, 1890
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Spilogale gracilis Merriam, 1890
- Name authority
- Merriam, 1890
- Common name
- Western Spotted Skunk
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Mephitidae
- Genus
- Spilogale
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderCarnivora Bowdich, 1821
- suborderCaniformia Kretzoi, 1938
- familyMephitidae Bonaparte, 1845
- genusSpilogale Gray, 1865
- speciesSpilogale gracilis Merriam, 1890
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Spilogale. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Spotted SkunkSpilogale angustifrons Howell, 1902 | MephitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Desert Spotted SkunkSpilogale leucoparia Merriam, 1890 | MephitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Yucatan Spotten SkunkSpilogale yucatanensis Burt, 1938 | MephitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Alleghanian Spotted SkunkSpilogale putorius (Linnaeus, 1758) | MephitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pygmy Spotted SkunkSpilogale pygmaea Thomas, 1898 | MephitidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
North America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=552466 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4Z3P5. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.