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François Messier - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Aposematic Behaviour in the Striped Skunk, Mephitis mephitis
Ethology, 2010Co-Authors: Serge Lartviere, François MessierAbstract:From April to August, 1993 to 1995, we studied the aposematic behaviour patterns of Striped Skunks, Mephitis mephitis, incidentally while ground-tracking radio-marked animals. During 2668 h of tracking, 207 defensive postures were displayed by 34 radio-collared (27 females, 7 males) and 21 unidentified Skunks. Skunks most often advertised their noxiousness using Tail-up (69.1 % occurrence) and Stomp (17.4%). Encounters were frequently (42.5 %) terminated by the Skunk running away from the source of disturbance. Most warning behaviour was directed at radio-trackers (95.7 %), and the remainder was displayed to a variety of predatory and non-predatory animals or objects. Stomp occurred more frequently in taller vegetation, where visual advertisement was limited. Reaction distance of Skunks disturbed by observers (median = 6 m) was not affected by wind, movement or vegetation height. The small awareness circle and high tolerance of Skunks to disturbance are consistent with the life history traits of aposematic animals.
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Energetic consequences and ecological significance of heterothermy and social thermoregulation in Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis).
Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ, 2006Co-Authors: Yeen Ten Hwang, Serge Larivière, François MessierAbstract:Abstract We assessed patterns and energetic consequences of different overwintering strategies, torpor, and social thermoregulation in the Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) under natural ambient temperature and photoperiod. Striped Skunks entered spontaneous daily torpor, with the lowest torpid body temperature (Tb) reaching 26.0°C, the lowest recorded Tb for a carnivore. Patterns of daily torpor differed between solitary and grouped Skunks: all solitary Skunks regularly entered daily torpor, but only some individuals in communal dens employed torpor. When they did, it was shallow and infrequent. Solitary Skunks entered torpor on average 50 times (in 120 d) compared with 6 times for grouped Skunks. During torpor, solitary Skunks had average minimum Tb of 26.8°C and bout duration of 7.8 h, whereas grouped Skunks had average minimum Tb of 30.9°C and bout duration of 5.4 h. Torpor by solitary Skunks occurred during their activity phase, but grouped Skunks’ shallow torpor bouts were restricted to their diurna...
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Spatial organization of a prairie Striped Skunk population during the waterfowl nesting season
The Journal of Wildlife Management, 1998Co-Authors: Serge Larivière, François MessierAbstract:Information on the spatial organization of the Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is required for the management of this species as a predator of waterfowl eggs. Radiocollared Striped Skunks were tracked in southcentral Saskatchewan from April through August, 1993 (6 M, 13 F) and 1994 (2 M, 15 F). Home ranges (100% minimum convex polygon) of males (11.6 ± 2.8 km 2 , n = 5) were larger (P < 0.01) than those of females (3.7 ± 0.3 km 2 , n = 21). Similarly, core areas of males (3.0 ± 1.2 km 2 ) were larger (P < 0.01) than those of females (1.0 ± 0.1 km 2 ). Extensive intrasexual overlap occurred among home ranges (71 ± 4%) and core areas (26 ± 7%) of females. Daily ranges of Striped Skunks did not vary with sex or biological season (preparturition, parturition-rearing, predispersal, dispersal), and averaged 1.39 ± 0.26 km 2 for males and 1.11 ± 0.17 km 2 for females. Neither males nor females scent-marked, and all individuals were solitary (except females with young). Females are likely more important predators of duck eggs than males because females are more abundant, have overlapping ranges, and travel their home ranges more intensively.
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Denning ecology of the Striped Skunk in the Canadian prairies: implications for waterfowl nest predation
Journal of Applied Ecology, 1998Co-Authors: Serge Larivière, François MessierAbstract:1. From 1993 to 1995, we studied the summer denning ecology of 40 radio-collared Striped Skunks Mephitis mephitis (32 females, eight males) during the waterfowl nesting season in Saskatchewan, Canada. 2. Forty-seven natal dens were used by 30 females. Natal den sites were either underground burrows (55%) or holes underneath buildings (45%), and were preferably located in farmsteads. 3. Male and female Striped Skunks used similar resting sites which consisted of above-ground retreats (57%), underground burrows (23%), buildings (17%) and culverts (3%). 4. Habitat preferences for resting sites did not differ between males and females: both sexes preferred farmsteads and wetlands, whereas managed waterfowl nesting areas, woodland and miscellanous habitats were avoided. Cropland was avoided for both natal dens and resting sites. 5. Females did not simultaneously share natal dens or resting sites, but both types of retreats were occupied by different females over time. Natal dens were occupied for 47 ± 3 days for females using a single den vs. 60 ± 3 days for females using >1 natal dens. Den switching may have been induced by a build-up of faeces. 6. Management of natal den sites such as abandoned farmsteads and buildings may provide an avenue of non-destructive predator management that is less expensive and controversial than exclusion or control.
Richardson, Dennis J. - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Helminth Parasites of the Raccoon (\u3ci\u3eProcyon lotor\u3c/i\u3e), Virginia opossum (\u3ci\u3eDidelphis virginiana\u3c/i\u3e), and Striped Skunk (\u3ci\u3eMephitis mephitis\u3c/i\u3e) from Keith County, Nebraska
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 2013Co-Authors: Richardson, Dennis J.Abstract:Nine raccoons (Procyon lotor), 6 Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and 1 Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) collected from Keith County, Nebraska were examined for helminth parasites. Raccoons were infected with the nematodes Arthrocephalus lotoris, Baylisascaris procyonis, and Capillaria plica, the trematode Fibricola cratera, and the tapeworm Atriotaenia procyonis. Opossums were infected with 1 nematode, 1 trematode, and 1 cestode species: Physaloptera turgida, Plagiorhchis elegans, and Oochoristica sp., respectively. The single Striped Skunk was infected with the nematode Physaloptera maxillaris and the cestodes Mesocestoides sp. and Oochoristica sp
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Ectoparasites of the Virginia opossum (\u3ci\u3eDidelphis virginiana\u3c/i\u3e), Raccoon (\u3ci\u3eProcyon lotor\u3c/i\u3e), and Striped Skunk (\u3ci\u3eMephitis mephitis\u3c/i\u3e) from Keith County, Nebraska
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 2013Co-Authors: Durden, Lance A., Richardson, Dennis J.Abstract:Six Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), nine raccoons (Procyon lotor) and one Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) collected from Keith County Nebraska were examined for ectoparasites. All three host species were parasitized by adults of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis. Opossums were also parasitized by the flea Pulex simulans and the tiny fur mite Didelphilichus serrifer; the latter species represents a new state record for Nebraska. Raccoons were also parasitized by P. simulans and by the lagomorph-associated flea Euhoplopsyllus glacialis affinis, whereas the Skunk was also parasitized by the chewing louse Neotrichodectes mephiditis
Gary A. Anderson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Bayesian Spatiotemporal Pattern and Eco-climatological Drivers of Striped Skunk Rabies in the North Central Plains.
PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2016Co-Authors: Ram K. Raghavan, Cathleen A. Hanlon, Douglas G. Goodin, Rolan D. Davis, Michael C. Moore, Susan M. Moore, Gary A. AndersonAbstract:Striped Skunks are one of the most important terrestrial reservoirs of rabies virus in North America, and yet the prevalence of rabies among this host is only passively monitored and the disease among this host remains largely unmanaged. Oral vaccination campaigns have not efficiently targeted Striped Skunks, while periodic spillovers of Striped Skunk variant viruses to other animals, including some domestic animals, are routinely recorded. In this study we evaluated the spatial and spatio-temporal patterns of infection status among Striped Skunk cases submitted for rabies testing in the North Central Plains of US in a Bayesian hierarchical framework, and also evaluated potential eco-climatological drivers of such patterns. Two Bayesian hierarchical models were fitted to point-referenced Striped Skunk rabies cases [n = 656 (negative), and n = 310 (positive)] received at a leading rabies diagnostic facility between the years 2007–2013. The first model included only spatial and temporal terms and a second covariate model included additional covariates representing eco-climatic conditions within a 4km2 home-range area for Striped Skunks. The better performing covariate model indicated the presence of significant spatial and temporal trends in the dataset and identified higher amounts of land covered by low-intensity developed areas [Odds ratio (OR) = 3.41; 95% Bayesian Credible Intervals (CrI) = 2.08, 3.85], higher level of patch fragmentation (OR = 1.70; 95% CrI = 1.25, 2.89), and diurnal temperature range (OR = 0.54; 95% CrI = 0.27, 0.91) to be important drivers of Striped Skunk rabies incidence in the study area. Model validation statistics indicated satisfactory performance for both models; however, the covariate model fared better. The findings of this study are important in the context of rabies management among Striped Skunks in North America, and the relevance of physical and climatological factors as risk factors for Skunk to human rabies transmission and the space-time patterns of Striped Skunk rabies are discussed.
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Model statistics from two spatio-temporal models evaluating Striped Skunk rabies incidence in Kansas, Nebraska in the Northern Plains, USA.
2016Co-Authors: Ram K. Raghavan, Cathleen A. Hanlon, Douglas G. Goodin, Rolan Davis, Michael Moore, Susan Moore, Gary A. AndersonAbstract:Model statistics from two spatio-temporal models evaluating Striped Skunk rabies incidence in Kansas, Nebraska in the Northern Plains, USA.
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Spatial distribution of positive (dark circles) (n = 310) and negative (open circles) (n = 656) test results for Striped Skunk rabies in the study region.
2016Co-Authors: Ram K. Raghavan, Cathleen A. Hanlon, Douglas G. Goodin, Rolan Davis, Michael Moore, Susan Moore, Gary A. AndersonAbstract:Spatial distribution of positive (dark circles) (n = 310) and negative (open circles) (n = 656) test results for Striped Skunk rabies in the study region.
Jennifer S. Hunter - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Behavioral Ecology
2016Co-Authors: Jennifer S. HunterAbstract:doi:10.1093/beheco/arp144 Familiarity breeds contempt: effects of Striped Skunk color, shape, and abundance on wild carnivore behavio
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familiarity breeds contempt effects of Striped Skunk color shape and abundance on wild carnivore behavior
Behavioral Ecology, 2009Co-Authors: Jennifer S. HunterAbstract:Multicomponent aposematic warning signals are generally accepted to function as a deterrent to predatory attacks; however, the relative importance of specific visual cues used by wild predators to recognize defended animals is poorly understood. Here, I use naturally and reciprocally colored taxidermy models of Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) to explore the impact of aposematic coloration and body shape on the behavior of wild mammalian predators. Models were baited, and all visiting species were recorded with remote video cameras at 10 wilderness sites in California, USA. I found that mammalian predators not only approached black-and-white models more hesitantly than gray-colored models but also reacted negatively to Skunk-shaped models, suggesting that predators may generalize noxious qualities to both Skunk coloration and Skunk shape. This study also found an effect of Skunk abundance on animal behavior with predators less likely to visit black-and-white models and more hesitant in their approach to Skunk-shaped models at sites with greater Skunk abundance. These findings suggest that prior experience and the frequency with which aposematic prey are encountered in a landscape are important predictors of predator avoidance of defended prey. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.
Serge Larivière - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Ontogeny of antipredator behaviour in Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis)
Ethology Ecology & Evolution, 2011Co-Authors: Sarah Medill, Aurélie Renard, Serge LarivièreAbstract:The defensive display of a threatened adult Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) involves visual, auditory, and olfactory signals. Detection of a potential predator leads to either avoidance (run, hide, or den) or confrontational (tail-up, stomp, hiss, scratch, charge, aim, and spray) behaviours. Seventy Skunks born in captivity were handled at five-day intervals starting at seven days of age and up to 52 days of age. The development of defensive behaviours (tail-up, stomp, run, aim, hide, spray, hiss, scratch, charge, and bite) and physical attributes (eye opening, external auditory meatus opening, and teeth eruption) were recorded. Tail-up, which signifies alertness and enhances warning colouration, was the most common and earliest defence behaviour observed. Musk was present at seven days of age, though the ability of a Skunk to forcefully expel its chemical defence is not developed until 17 days. Initially spray events are not aimed at the threat; directed spray is initiated following eye opening at 32 d...
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Energetic consequences and ecological significance of heterothermy and social thermoregulation in Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis).
Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ, 2006Co-Authors: Yeen Ten Hwang, Serge Larivière, François MessierAbstract:Abstract We assessed patterns and energetic consequences of different overwintering strategies, torpor, and social thermoregulation in the Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) under natural ambient temperature and photoperiod. Striped Skunks entered spontaneous daily torpor, with the lowest torpid body temperature (Tb) reaching 26.0°C, the lowest recorded Tb for a carnivore. Patterns of daily torpor differed between solitary and grouped Skunks: all solitary Skunks regularly entered daily torpor, but only some individuals in communal dens employed torpor. When they did, it was shallow and infrequent. Solitary Skunks entered torpor on average 50 times (in 120 d) compared with 6 times for grouped Skunks. During torpor, solitary Skunks had average minimum Tb of 26.8°C and bout duration of 7.8 h, whereas grouped Skunks had average minimum Tb of 30.9°C and bout duration of 5.4 h. Torpor by solitary Skunks occurred during their activity phase, but grouped Skunks’ shallow torpor bouts were restricted to their diurna...
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Husbandry, overwinter care, and reproduction of captive Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis)
Zoo Biology, 2005Co-Authors: Serge Larivière, Yeen Ten Hwang, Wanda A. Gorsuch, Sarah MedillAbstract:The Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is the focus of research interest for a variety of reasons, including its roles as a rabies reservoir, urban pest, predator of bird eggs, and parasite host. Some research programmes may require husbandry and breeding of captive animals, and because Skunks are inactive in the winter in northern environments, special methods are needed to maintain the animals over winter. We report on the establishment of a colony of Striped Skunks kept in captivity in the northern part of their range. Our goals were to develop simple and effective methods to keep Skunks in captivity over winter, and successfully breed Skunks in a manner that resembles conditions in the wild. In the spring of 2002, three wild-caught, pregnant females gave birth in captivity (mean litter size=7). During the first year, 11 of 12 females kept in captivity over winter reproduced successfully in the spring of 2003, with a mean litter size of 5.5 (range=4–8, n=11). In the summer of 2003, 91 of 93 juveniles (97.9%) survived >60 days past weaning. Our high survival and reproduction rates testify to the success of this program, and provide insights into the husbandry of a species that is inactive during winter. Zoo Biol 24:83–91, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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Spatial organization of a prairie Striped Skunk population during the waterfowl nesting season
The Journal of Wildlife Management, 1998Co-Authors: Serge Larivière, François MessierAbstract:Information on the spatial organization of the Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is required for the management of this species as a predator of waterfowl eggs. Radiocollared Striped Skunks were tracked in southcentral Saskatchewan from April through August, 1993 (6 M, 13 F) and 1994 (2 M, 15 F). Home ranges (100% minimum convex polygon) of males (11.6 ± 2.8 km 2 , n = 5) were larger (P < 0.01) than those of females (3.7 ± 0.3 km 2 , n = 21). Similarly, core areas of males (3.0 ± 1.2 km 2 ) were larger (P < 0.01) than those of females (1.0 ± 0.1 km 2 ). Extensive intrasexual overlap occurred among home ranges (71 ± 4%) and core areas (26 ± 7%) of females. Daily ranges of Striped Skunks did not vary with sex or biological season (preparturition, parturition-rearing, predispersal, dispersal), and averaged 1.39 ± 0.26 km 2 for males and 1.11 ± 0.17 km 2 for females. Neither males nor females scent-marked, and all individuals were solitary (except females with young). Females are likely more important predators of duck eggs than males because females are more abundant, have overlapping ranges, and travel their home ranges more intensively.
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Denning ecology of the Striped Skunk in the Canadian prairies: implications for waterfowl nest predation
Journal of Applied Ecology, 1998Co-Authors: Serge Larivière, François MessierAbstract:1. From 1993 to 1995, we studied the summer denning ecology of 40 radio-collared Striped Skunks Mephitis mephitis (32 females, eight males) during the waterfowl nesting season in Saskatchewan, Canada. 2. Forty-seven natal dens were used by 30 females. Natal den sites were either underground burrows (55%) or holes underneath buildings (45%), and were preferably located in farmsteads. 3. Male and female Striped Skunks used similar resting sites which consisted of above-ground retreats (57%), underground burrows (23%), buildings (17%) and culverts (3%). 4. Habitat preferences for resting sites did not differ between males and females: both sexes preferred farmsteads and wetlands, whereas managed waterfowl nesting areas, woodland and miscellanous habitats were avoided. Cropland was avoided for both natal dens and resting sites. 5. Females did not simultaneously share natal dens or resting sites, but both types of retreats were occupied by different females over time. Natal dens were occupied for 47 ± 3 days for females using a single den vs. 60 ± 3 days for females using >1 natal dens. Den switching may have been induced by a build-up of faeces. 6. Management of natal den sites such as abandoned farmsteads and buildings may provide an avenue of non-destructive predator management that is less expensive and controversial than exclusion or control.
