| Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mephitidae |
| Genus: | Conepatus |
| Species: | C. humboldtii |
| Binomial name | |
| Conepatus humboldtii Gray, 1837 | |
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| Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk range | |
Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus humboldtii), also known as thePatagonian hog-nosed skunk, is a species ofhog-nosed skunk indigenous to the open grassy areas in thePatagonian regions of SouthArgentina andChile. It belongs to the orderCarnivora and the familyMephitidae.
This skunk is small and stocky, with a bare nose elongated for the purpose of findingground beetles,grasshoppers andcrickets.[3] Its fur is brownish-red with two symmetrical stripes on either side, extending to the tail. It ranges from 30 to 34 cm in body length, with a 17- to 21-cm tail. They usually weigh 1.5 to 3.0 kg. The skunk has long claws and well developed forelimbs in order to dig to locate prey.[3]
Its teeth are specialized for the consumption of invertebrates and fruit, their lowermolars are adapted for crushing such resistant foods. Similar adaptation of the molars is seen in theSouth American gray fox.[3] Like all South Americanhog-nosed skunks, it is smaller with a more primitive skull and tooth structure than North American skunks.[4]
There is high pressure fromintraguild predation on Humboldt's hog-nosed skunks. It is often preyed upon and targeted competitively by larger carnivorans such as theculpeo,chilla fox,Geoffrey's cat,pampas cat,Andean cat, andpuma. It, however, is unlikely to target other carnivorans.[5]
Humboldt's hog-nosed skunks areomnivorous, feeding primarily on insects but also on vertebrate prey, such as rodents andcarrion during winters, when insects are less abundant.[3] Patagonian hog nosed skunks have also been known to eat fruit.[3]
Unlike other South American carnivorans, it is less affected by competition from increased dietary homogenization in areas where native prey species have gone extinct due to its largely strictly insectivorous diet.[6]
Humboldt's hog-nosed skunks arecrepuscular, active primarily at dawn and twilight. It does little in the way of active hunting, selecting prey that is easiest to capture. During the winter seasons, it shifts from its open grassy habitats to shrubs, forests, and mountainous areas asinsect populations decline to seek alternative food sources.[3]
John Edward Gray named the species in honor ofAlexander von Humboldt.[7]
C. humboldtii's andC. chinga's status as separate species is debated. There is a high degree of observed variation in coloration and pattern within the two species and observed differences are inconsistent.[8] Much of the variation in shape and size observed can be attributed toenvironmental influence.[8] Morphological comparisons also show a wide overlap in skull andmandibular structure.[8] In 2021, theAmerican Society of Mammalogists consideredC. humboldtii conspecific withC. chinga.[9]
