How to identify it
Small, weasel-like skunk with a small white spot on the forehead and one in front of each ear. [1][2]
Six distinct white stripes on the front of the body; rear body has two interrupted white bands. [1][2]
White spot each side of the rump and two at the tail base. [1][2]
Front claws sharp, recurved and more than twice as long as hind claws. [1][2]
Compared with the western spotted skunk: White areas more extensive on the western species. [1][2]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Western spotted skunk · Spilogale gracilis
Where it lives
Prefers forested areas or habitats with significant cover; ADW also gives wooded areas, tall-grass prairie and rocky habitats. [1][2]
How it behaves
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Florida — hunting, trapping · 2026-2027 Florida Resident Game and Furbearer Hunting Season Dates and Bag Limits (FWC)
- Georgia — trapping · 2026-2027 Georgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations and Seasons (official WRD guide, publuu-hosted PDF, p.16)
- Louisiana — trapping · 2026-2027 Louisiana Trapping Regulations
- Mississippi — hunting, nuisance or unprotected take, trapping · Nuisance Species Regulations (MDWFP)
- South Carolina — hunting, trapping · 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide
- South Dakota — hunting, trapping · 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook
- Texas — hunting, trapping · Outdoor Annual: Seasons & Bag Limits: Fur-bearing Animals
- West Virginia — hunting, trapping · West Virginia 2026-2027 Hunting Season Dates | WVDNR
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
NatureServe places S. putorius east of the Mississippi River, from the Florida peninsula north to at least Pennsylvania.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology