Mephitis mephitis (ScHreBer, 1776)

Striped Skunk

MepHitis mepHitis is distinguished by two white dorsal stripes that join on the neck and branch behind the head. A white medial stripe is present on the face and forehead (Wade-Smith and Verts 1982). Despite this standard pattern, there is remarkable variation in the pelage of this species with some individuals almost completely black and others with white over most of the body. Striped skunks are distributed throughout the state of Texas (Schmidly and Bradley 2016) with M. m. Varians in the western majority of the state and M. m. mesomelus roughly east of the Balcones Fault Zone (Schmidly 1983). In most areas where they occur sympatrically with other skunks, M. mepHitis is the most abundant species (Schmidly and Bradley 2016). Despite state-wide distribution, some counties do not have a representative vouchered specimen or documented observation. Krishnamoorthy et al. (2021) reported a recent record from Lynn County located in the Texas Panhandle. Herein are documented 39 county records and 41 nonvounchered photographic records from 12 counties. One record from Wilson County was deposited as a voucher specimen at the Texas A&M Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collection – formerly Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection (TCWC).

Specimens examined (149).—Armstrong County (1): 25 August 2020 (ASNHC 20162) . Bee County (1): 2 August 2011 (ASNHC 15029) . Bell County (1): female, 6 August 1996, Fort Hood Military Installation (ASNHC 11747) . Bosque County (1): 15 July 2020 (ASNHC 20163) . Burnet County (18): 9 November 2010 (ASNHC 16202); 6 September 2011 (ASNHC 19983); 7 March 2011 (ASNHC 14721); 7 March 2011 (ASNHC 14730); 12 April 2011 (ASNHC 16199); 12 May 2011 (ASNHC 14852); 3 June 2011 (ASNHC 15018); 21 June 2011 (ASNHC 16201); 7 July 2011 (ASNHC 15048); 6 September 2011 (ASNHC 19983); 27 January 2012 (ASNHC 15582); 3 February 2012 (ASNHC 16200); 8 July 2012 (ASNHC 15045); 12 February 2013 (ASNHC 18983); 21 February 2013 (ASNHC 19137); 12 June 2013 (ASNHC 17967); 12 September 2013 (ASNHC 17968); 1 April 2014 (ASNHC 17858) . Carson County (9): 30 August 2010 (ASNHC 14427); 9 September 2010 (ASNHC 14450); 17 September 2010 (ASNHC 14438); 25 September 2010 (ASNHC 14439); 8 April 2011 (ASNHC 15583); 20 May 2011 (ASNHC 15022); 22 July 2011 (ASNHC 15040); 22 July 2011 (ASNHC 16211); 1 August 2011 (ASNHC 15030) . Castro County (1): 16 May 2014 (ASNHC 17901) . Childress County (2): 13 April 2011 (ASNHC 16212); 3 June 2011 (ASNHC 16637) . Collingsworth County (1): 6 March 2012 (ASNHC 17854) . Ector County (6): 11 October 2010 (ASNHC 14510); 12 November 2013 (ASNHC 17902); 17 September 2019 (ASNHC 20021); 17 September 2019 (ASNHC 20026); 26 September 2019 (ASNHC 20020); 27 September 2019 (ASNHC 20022) . Fisher County (1): 30 November 2012 (ASNHC 18996) . Gaines County (2): female, 10 September 2005, Seminole (32.718993, -102.64491; ASNHC 13637) ; female, 8 January 2008, 6.4 km southwest of Seminole on TX HWY 181 (32.678201, -102.693384; ASNHC 17835) . Gillespie County (2): 12August 2011 (ASNHC 20262); 23 August 2013 (ASNHC 18715) . Gray County (1): 28 July 2020 (ASNHC 20164) . Guadalupe County (5): 18 February 2011 (ASNHC 14613); 16 June 2011 (ASNHC 16220); 25August 2011 (ASNHC 20027); 30 August 2011 (ASNHC 14423); 15 July 2014 (ASNHC 17913) . Hamilton County (5): 26 July 2011 (ASNHC 15079); 16 October 2012 (ASNHC 16623); 20 March 2014 (ASNHC 17925); 27 March 2014 (ASNHC 18525); 4 April 2014 (ASNHC 17922) . Hardeman County (1): 2 October 2012 (ASNHC 16186) . Haskell County (1): 24 February 2020 (ASNHC 20165) . Hood County (13): 26 October 2010 (ASNHC 14638); 25 May 2011 (ASNHC 16226); 21 September 2011 (ASNHC 16605); 6 December 2012 (ASNHC 18927); 20 March 2013 (ASNHC 20015); 12 June 2013 (ASNHC 17887); 12 June 2013 (ASNHC 18538); 14 February 2014 (ASNHC 18539); 11 March 2014 (ASNHC 17980); 22 April 2014 (ASNHC 18541); 24 June 2014 (ASNHC 19167); 6 August 2014 (ASNHC 18540); 2 October 2014 (ASNHC 19133) . Johnson County (12): 22 October 2010 (ASNHC 14605); 27 December 2010 (ASNHC 14524); 1 March 2011 (ASNHC 14695); 10 January 2012 (ASNHC 16612); 6 June 2013 (ASNHC 18107); 8 June 2013 (ASNHC 18108); 25 June 2013 (ASNHC 17884); 3 January 2014 (ASNHC 20016); 20 February 2014 (ASNHC 17994); 9April 2014 (ASNHC 17895); 23 December 2014 (ASNHC 19132); 2 October 2019 (ASNHC 20028) . Lampasas County (1): male, 20 February 2011, 3.2 km east of Lampasas on TX HWY 183 (31.5317, -98.1181; ASNHC 19169) . Live Oak County (1): 19 April 2011 (ASNHC 15139) . Menard County (1): 12 November 2013 (ASNHC 17861) . Midland County (8): 10 September 2010 (ASNHC 14443); 13 September 2010 (ASNHC 14447); 29 September 2010 (ASNHC 14568); 26 July 2011 (ASNHC 15031); 29 July 2011 (ASNHC 15041); 30August 2012 (ASNHC 16383); 4 October 2013 (ASNHC 17856); 19 March 2014 (ASNHC 18549) . Morris County (1): 30 January 2015 (ASNHC 18720) . Ochiltree County (2): 21 October 2011 (ASNHC 16176); 18 March 2014 (ASNHC 17865) . Parker County (11): male, 29 May 1999, 8 km southeast of Weatherford, Moncrief Ranch (32.699008, -97.722687; ASNHC 12075) ; male, 10 November 2001, 7.9 km south, 7.1 km east of Weatherford (32.678785, -97.707284; ASNHC 12011) ; female, 11 November 2001, 7.9 km south, 7.1 km east of Weatherford (32.678785, -97.707284; ASNHC 12010); female, 24 November 2001, 7.9 km south, 7.1 km east of Weatherford (32.678785, -97.707284; ASNHC 12009) ; 2 September 2010 (ASNHC 14530); 7 January 2011 (ASNHC 14774); 10 October 2012 (ASNHC 16624); 23 March 2012 (ASNHC 16387); 22 March 2013 (ASNHC 20018); 9 October 2014 (ASNHC 18885); 2 October 2019 (ASNHC 20025) . Potter County (10): 31 August 2010 (ASNHC 14602); 08 February 2011 (ASNHC 14775); 06 May 2011 (ASNHC 15019); 12 July 2011 (ASNHC 15038); 11 October 2011 (ASNHC 16376); 09 August 2012 (ASNHC 20019); 11 December 2012 (ASNHC 18926); 11 December 2012 (ASNHC 18931); 16 June 2014 (ASNHC 18937); 20 June 2014 (ASNHC 18880) . San Saba County (4): 10 March 2011 (ASNHC 14716); 23 August 2011 (ASNHC 20023); 26 February 2013 (ASNHC 18973); 5 June 2014 (ASNHC 18938) . Scurry County (3): 14 June 2011 (ASNHC 155591); 9 September 2012 (ASNHC 16391); 14 September 2012 (ASNHC 16632) . Somervell County (5): 15 September 2011 (ASNHC 16629); 22 March 2012 (ASNHC 16168); 22 March 2012 (ASNHC 16243); 9 April 2013 (ASNHC 20017); 26 March 2014 (ASNHC 18747) . Stephens County (1): 30 April 2014 (ASNHC 18706) . Upton County (2): May 2007, 0.32 km east of Rankin on US 67 (31.227126, -101.930772; ASNHC 13668) ; 9 June 2011 (ASNHC 16367) . Uvalde County (2): 17 February 2011 (ASNHC 14706); 29 April 2011 (ASNHC 15092) . Ward County (2): 16 October 2019 (ASNHC 20260); 18 October 2019 (ASNHC 20261) . Wilson County (1): 5 February 2003, Floresville, Rancho de las Cabras, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (29.28138889, -97.76055556; TCWC 58330) . Winkler County (1): 4 March 2012 (ASNHC 14701) . Wise County (7): 3 September 2010 (ASNHC 14508); 26 January 2012 (ASNHC 16173); 5 December 2012 (ASNHC 18871); 21 March 2013 (ASNHC 20263); 4 June 2013 (ASNHC 18743); 31 December 2019 (ASNHC 20265); 10 March 2020 (ASNHC 20264) . Young County (2): 10 August 2011 (ASNHC 20030); 15 June 2012 (ASNHC 20029) .

NonVoucHered pHotograpHic records (41).— Bandera County (2): 5 February 2019 (20131261); 4 June 2020 (48449557). Blanco County (18): 13 June 2009 (7532057); 3 January 2010 (9919814); 1 November 2011 (7457463); 13 August 2013 (364814); 27 January 2014 (513552); 5 May 2014 (662967); 11 November 2014 (1068625); 30 January 2015 (1202350); 2 February 2015 (1208175); 22 June 2016 (3501441); 16 June 2016 (7015996); 16 December 2016 (7015996); 10 May 2018 (12341382); 5 December 2018 (18846423); 17 December 2019 (37018434); 27 March 2020 (40804871); 25 May 2020 (47317064); 13 November 2020 (64811730); 19 December 2020 (66967656). Dawson County (1): 26 September 2020 (60858091). Foard County (9): 24 January 2016 (72920506); 1 March 2016 (67839090); 28 October 2017 (66598183); 29 October 2017 (66598190); 7 November 2017 (66598240); 23 November 2017 (66556365); 27 November 2017 (66553865); 2 December 2017 (66553873); 14 December 2017 (66553883). Goliad County (1): 16 February 2020 (38715761). Karnes County (1): 7 July 2020 (52324657). Kent County (2): 20 February 2018 (10221853); 6 March 2019 (21013966). Shackelford County (2): 19 October 2019 (34586391); 5 December 2020 (67767386). Shelby County (1): 1 May 2014 (663085). Stonewall County (2): 25 May 2017 (6363850); 13 March 2020 (41083160). Willacy County (1): 21 March 2020 (40452035). Zavala County (1): 4 December 2019 (36373326).