Conepatus chinga (Molina, 1782)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5684751 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5700791 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CC87EC-9124-FB51-FA29-F727FD87D246 |
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treatment provided by |
Conny |
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scientific name |
Conepatus chinga |
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Molina’s Hog-nosed Skunk
French: Moufette de Molina / German: Anden-Skunk / Spanish: Zorrino chileno
Taxonomy. Vicerra chinga Molina, 1782 ,
“ Chili ”, restricted to “alrededores de Valparaiso ”. [ Chile].
A taxonomic revision of the species is needed. Seven subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
C. c. chinga Molina, 1782 — C Chile coastline (from Coquimbo to Concepcion).
C. c. budini Thomas, 1919 — W Argentina (Catamarca, La Rioja, San Juan, San Luis & N Mendoza).
C. c. gibsoni Thomas, 1910 — Argentina (Pampas region).
C. c. inca Thomas, 1900 — Peru.
C. c. mendosus Thomas, 1921 — W Argentina (SW Mendoza) W to C Chile (Los Rios & Los Lagos regions).
C. c. rex Thomas, 1898 — Bolivia.
C. c. suffocans Illiger, 1815 — SE Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and NE Argentina. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 35-49 cm (males), 30-45 cm (females), tail 14.6-29 cm (males), 13.3-28 cm (females); weight 1-3 kg. As in most skunk species, males are larger than females. These skunks are slightly larger than the Humboldt’s Hog-nosed Skunks farther south. The pelage color is black, brown, or dark reddish, with two white stripes running down the back slightly to the side. These stripes may or may notjoin on the head. There is considerable variation in color pattern. The ears are short and the nose pad is thick and naked. The palms of the feet are hairless and have thick swellings on the pads. The digits are short and the claws are long. There are 32 teeth, as in other Conepatus . These skunks also have two scent glands at the base ofthe tail just inside the rectum, which are used to expel noxious fluid as a defense mechanism.
Habitat. Molina’s Hog-nosed Skunks occur in a variety of habitats and can be found from the dry lowlands to the Altiplano in Bolivia. They have been found from the Paraguayan Chaco to the precordillerean steppe. They forage in grassland, savannas, steppe, and canyons, and den in shrub forests and in talus slopes. Dens in rocky areas are usually found in crevices. Elsewhere, they burrow into the ground, sometimes at the roots of trees, to construct dens. They will also den in caves and use burrows abandoned by other animals. They tend to avoid heavily forested areas. In fact, their populations may increase in areas where forests have been cleared.
Food and Feeding. Like other skunks, is an omnivorous and opportunistic feeder. Invertebrates constitute the bulk of the diet, but small vertebrates, including frogs, lizards, rodents, and birds as well as bird and reptile eggs are consumed. More vertebrates are consumed during winter months when arthropods are harder to find. Otherwise the diet is similar year round. Arthropod prey items include beetle larvae and spiders. Beetles are found in abundance in skunk faeces even when beetles in the environment are more scarce, suggesting that beetles are a favorite food item.
Activity patterns. These skunks are considered to be crepuscular, but can be active throughout the night with their activity usually starting between 19:00 h and 22:00 h. They are active most of the night and settle early in the morning, before 05:00 h. Much of their time is spent searching for food either by digging up insects or sniffing and searching around brush. They tend to dig less in winter when the ground is frozen.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Molina’s Hog-nosed Skunk is primarily solitary when foraging. Home ranges ofthis species (based on a small sample size) are from 3-5-12 times larger than home ranges in other Conepatus and average about 195 ha.
Breeding. Little is known about the breeding behavior ofthis species. They have been reported to have a single breeding season, like the other South American skunks. They are similar in ecology and habit to the Humboldt’s Hog-nosed Skunk, so presumably they have a similar gestation period (approximately 60 days) and produce a single annual litter of 2-5 offspring. The breeding season may be longer than in other species.
Status and Conservation. Molina’s Hog-nosed Skunks are notlisted with CITES, and are classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. These skunks too have been hunted and trapped for their pelts, which have been used to make blankets. They are susceptible to poisons set out for other animals. They are preyed upon by various birds of prey as well as larger mammalian carnivores. This species also harbors several internal and external parasites.
Bibliography. Anderson (1997), Arias et al. (2006), Cabrera (1958), Cabrera & Yepes (1960), Canevari & Ambrosini (1988), Donadio et al. (2001), Eisenberg & Redford (1999), Molina (1782), Thomas (1900b, 1910, 1919), Travaini et al. (1998), Wozencraft (2005).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
