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

The plains spotted skunk (Spilogale interrupta) has garnered attention because of concerns over perceived population declines. Despite these concerns, a paucity of detailed information regarding region-specific habitat needs has made species conservation challenging. Recognizing these challenges, we tracked 14 plains spotted skunks during spring and summer of 2021 and 2022. We developed resource selection functions using mixed-effects logistic regression to identify seasonal plains spotted skunk habitat associations. In spring, plains spotted skunk selected for areas near permanent small-scale farming structures (i.e., out-buildings, fences, and rock piles), and areas with relatively more human development, but avoided areas with higher wetland density and crop cover. During summer, plains spotted skunk continued to select areas near permanent farming structures and areas with less crop cover and more low human development. In contrast to spring, plains spotted skunk selected for areas with high wetland density and avoided areas with high human development during summer. Additionally, in summer plains spotted skunks avoided areas near hay bales and selected areas with more pasture. As the first analysis of plains spotted skunk resource use in the Great Plains, our study indicates that plains spotted skunks select habitats with permanent small-scale agricultural features and varying levels of human development across seasons. Thus, continued species presence in the region may rely on conservation strategies that incorporate habitat heterogeneity and the preservation of key structural elements within agricultural landscapes.