How to identify it
Small and slender, black with white spots on the forehead and in front of each ear. [1][2]
Stripes: dorsolateral pair from the back of the head, a lateral pair joining the ear spots, and a ventrolateral pair; they end at mid-body. [1][2]
Rear body has two interrupted white bands, a white rump spot each side and two at the tail base. [1][2]
Underside of tail white for nearly half its length, tip extensively white. [1][2]
Males about 423 mm and 565 g; females about 360 mm and 368 g. [1][2]
Compared with the eastern spotted skunk: Looks similar but with less extensive white. [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.
- Eastern spotted skunk · Spilogale putorius
Where it lives
Brushy canyons, rocky outcrops and canyon walls; rocky bluffs and brush-bordered canyon stream beds; sometimes nests in rock fences or attics. [1][2]
How it behaves
More nocturnal than the striped skunk and rarely seen by day; active year round [1][2]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- British Columbia — hunting, trapping · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Arizona — hunting, trapping · 2026-2027 Arizona Hunting Regulations
- California — hunting, nuisance or unprotected take · 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations (updated July 1, 2026)
- Colorado — hunting, trapping · 2 CCR 406-3 Chapter W-3 Furbearers and Small Game, Except Migratory Birds (07/16/2026; eff. 2026-09-01)
- Idaho — hunting, trapping · Upland Game, Turkey & Furbearer 2026 & 2027 Seasons & Rules
- Montana — hunting, trapping · Predator Shooting (FWP web page)
- Nevada — hunting, trapping · Nevada 2026-2027 Small Game Hunting Regulations & Seasons (NDOW official guide, eRegulations-hosted)
- Oregon — hunting, trapping · Oregon Furbearer Trapping & Hunting Regulations, July 1 2026 - June 30 2028
- Utah — hunting, trapping · 2026 Black Bear, Cougar and Furbearer Guidebook
- Wyoming — hunting, trapping · Wyoming Statutes Title 23 (W.S. 23-1-101 definitions)
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
Much of the western United States, including the Channel Islands of California, and the Baja Peninsula.
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