Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Oklahoma
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

The plains spotted skunk, a subspecies of the eastern spotted skunk, was petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act and a review of the subspecies’ status is currently being conducted. To aid managers, fill key knowledge gaps, and decrease the likelihood of the plains spotted skunk being listed, this project will use camera traps, a study design based in sampling theory, and occupancy modeling approaches to (1) characterize camera-based plains spotted skunk detection and identify optimal sampling intensities, (2) estimate plains spotted skunk occupancy, and (3) identify environmental factors associated with plains spotted skunk space use. Information gained will be essential to enhancing conservation efforts for plains spotted skunks in Oklahoma and more broadly.