MEPHITIDAE, Bonaparte, 1845

Smith, Paul & Ríos, Sergio D., 2024, Status and distribution of Paraguayan Procyonidae and Mephitidae (Mammalia: Carnivora), Natural History Sciences 11 (1), pp. 25-36 : 32-33

MEPHITIDAE

Molina’s hog-nosed skunk Conepatus chinga (Molina 1782) ( Fig. 5 )

Viverra chinga Molina 1782: 342 . Type locality “Chili”, restricted by Cabrera (1957) to “alrededores de Valparaiso ” ( Chile).

Conepatus Bertoni (1914 : mention).

Conepatus suffocans forma marputio Bertoni (1925: first record, taxonomy).

[ Conepatus chilensis ] forma maipurito Bertoni (1939: checklist, distribution).

Conepatus chilensis Jover Peralta & Osuna (1952: dictionary); Gatti (1985: dictionary).

Conepatus suffocans Seelwische (1980: ethnography).

Conepatus chinga suffocans Seesee et al. (1981: parasitology).

Conepatus chinga budini Roguin (1986: specimens, taxonomy).

Conepatus humboldtii Roguin (1986: taxonomy); Morales (2007: conservation).

Conepatus chinga Brooks 1991 (conservation, ecology, mortality); Gamarra de Fox & Martin (1996: specimens); Lowen et al. (1996; distribution); Neris et al. (1996: use); Gamarra de Fox et al. (1998: conservation); Yahnke et al. (1998: distribution); Hill & Padwe (2000: mention); Villalba & Yanosky (2000: ecology, tracks); Areskoug (2001: ecology); Esquivel (2001: guide); Neris & Colman (2001: folklore, use); Cartes (2004: ecology); Klassen et al. (2005: guide); Neris & Franco Rivarola (2005: guide); Yeo et al. (2005: mention); Smith et al. (2006: distribution); Rumbo (2010: ecology); Acosta & López (2013: mention); Velázquez & Ramírez Pinto (2014: guide); de la Sancha et al. (2017, list); Saldîvar et al. (2017: conservation); Villalba et al. (2018: guide); Epp (2018: guide); Weiler et al. (2019: guide); Weiler et al. (2020: distribution, ecology); Zuercher et al. (2022: diet, distribution).

Local names: AVA: Jaguane’i (Villalba & Yanosky, 2000); GUARANÍ: Yaguá-né ( Bertoni, 1939); Jagua në (Seelwische, 1980); Yaguané (Jover Peralta & Osuna, 1952); Jaguané (Neris et al., 1996); Jaguane’ ( Areskoug, 2001); Jaguane (Neris et al., 2002); Jagua ne (Fariña & Hostettler, 2003);Yaguapé (Morales, 2007); MBYA: Yaguané (Lowen et al., 1996); Jaguane (Villalba & Yanosky, 2000); MENNONITE DIALECT: Stinkkatze (Epp, 2018); SPANISH: Zorrino común (Seelwische, 1980); Huroncito (Morales, 2007); Zorrino comon (sic) ( Areskoug, 2001); Zorrino (Neris & Colman, 2001). Yaguané and variations translates roughly as “smelly dog”.

Comments: This is the Yagüaré of Azara (1802; Tome 1: 187) and l’Yagouaré of Azara (1801; Tome 1: 211), but he did not report the species from Paraguay. The subspecies present in Paraguay is C. c. suffocans (Illiger 1811) which is based on Azara᾽s l’Yagouaré and has restricted type locality “ Santa Fe, Argentina ” (Thomas, 1902: 240). The nomenclature of the South American skunks was confused for a long time, with different coat variations being described as different species (Ihering, 1910; Agnolin et al., 2019), however all Paraguayan reports refer to the same species Conepatus chinga (Schiaffini et al., 2013; Teta et al., 2020).

Azara (1801, 1802) called it a species of campos (open habitats), describing the defensive behaviour of the species, the variations in coat colour and the extensive uses that the indigenous people of the Pampas have for it. He noted two false beliefs about the species that were later repeated in numerous natural history publications. 1) that the indigenous people capture it by grabbing it by the tail and lifting it rapidly upwards and that this means the animal does not spray its “pestilence” and 2) that other skunks are attracted to a dead skunk, so that people chase them some distance from their house before they kill them, to avoid attracting more.

Bertoni (1914) mentioned that he had heard “news of Conepatus ” but that the reports required confirmation. The first published report of the species in Paraguay is Bertoni (1925) as Conepatus suffocans (Illiger 1811) , adding that “the forest species” Conepatus chilensis (Desmarest, 1818) may also occur in the country. Though this two taxa approach was very much the taxonomy of the time (Hensel, 1872; Ihering, 1910), the two names are now considered synonyms of Conepatus chinga . In Bertoni (1939), only Conepatus chilensis “form maipurito ” was listed, this referring to skunks of the variation with an entirely white back (Smith, 2024). Viverra mapurito Gmelin 1788 is based on the Moufette Mapurito de Mutis (Act. Holmiens, 1768) of “Nueva Hispania”.

Bertoni (1939) listed the species from the Chaco and had changed this text to a requirement for confirmation referring to “the east and south” (presumably broadly corresponding the Oriental region). This is apparently the first print reference to the possibility of skunks occurring east of the Paraguay River. Yahnke et al. (1998) (for Parque Nacional Cerro Corá), Smith et al. (2006) (for Área para Parque Nacional San Rafael) and Velázquez & Ramírez Pinto (2014) for (Reserva Tapytá) all reference the species in the humid forests of the Oriental region, but no physical evidence or documentation of any of these claims is available. However, there are previous published reports by locals of the presence of the species at the latter site that lend credibility (Lowen et al., 1996). Nonetheless this is complicated by the fact that the local name Yaguane is sometimes used erroneously for grisons Galictis (properly called Yaguape) and vice versa, and these animals are also superficially similar in colouration and appearance. Camera-trapping projects in the forests of the Oriental region have so far failed to capture any evidence of skunks.

The most detailed modern published data on this species for Paraguay is by Brooks (1991) who notes that the species is both diurnal and nocturnal, is sometimes shot for preying on poultry eggs and that historically it was used in ethno-medicine. He estimated a population density of 1 per 1.4 km 2.

Geographical distribution: Possibly confined to the Dry Chaco region where it is rather common in the more xeric regions, and apparently largely absent from the Humid Chaco and Pantanal ecoregions. Distribution in the humid forests of the Atlantic Forest region is certainly possible (as they are present in the forests of Paraná state, Brazil and Misiones province, Argentina), but there remains tantalizingly little evidence to support it. If the species is present in the Atlantic Forest ecoregion, then it is at extremely low density. Zuercher et al. (2022) report it for the Mbaracayú Forest Reserve, Canindeyú department based on molecular identification of scat samples (n=6), but extensive camera trapping at this locality over multiple years has never captured the species and the indigenous Aché who inhabit the area do not have a name for the animal (M. Velázquez, pers. comm.). In addition, reports from other localities in the Oriental region are rare, mostly old and undocumented.

Examined specimens: “Chaco” (MJUF); ALTO PARAGUAY: Parque Nacional Defensores del Chaco (MNHNP 794; Gamarra de Fox & Martin, 1996; Yahnke et al., 1998); BOQUERÓN: Parque Nacional Teniente Enciso (MNHNP 791; Gamarra de Fox & Martin, 1996; Yahnke et al., 1998); Teniente Martínez (MNHNP 790; Gamarra de Fox & Martin, 1996).

Specimens not examined: ALTO PARAGUAY: 28.8 km W by road of Fortín Madrejón (UMMZ 124451, 124452); 48 km W and 26 km N of Pablo Lagerenza (UCONN 20025); 49 km NE and 27 km N of Pablo Lagerenza (UCONN 19531); BOQUERÓN: 10 km S of Teniente Martínez (MSB 54082); 25 km SW of Copagro (UCONN 19048); 50 km WSW of Fortín Madrejón (AM- NH 248467, 248468, 248469, 248470); Estancia Iparoma, 20 km N of Filadelfia (UCONN 19828); Estancia La Conquista near to Pratt’s Gill (MHNG-MAM 1689.068; Roguin, 1986; Gamarra de Fox & Martin, 1996); Guachalla, Rio Pilcomayo 580 km W of Asunción (FMNH 54329, 54330); PRESIDENTE HAYES: 85 km east of Loma Plata, Laguna Pora de Colonia Fernheim (UCONN 19829).

Literature references: “ Chaco ” ( Bertoni, 1939); AMAMBAY: Parque Nacional Cerro Corá? (Yahnke et al., 1998); BOQUERÓN: Estancia Montanía (21º57’48’’S, 60 º 04’19’’W) (Weiler et al., 2020); Fortín Toledo ( Brooks, 1991); Gran Siete ( Areskoug, 2001); CAAZAPÁ: Reserva Tapytá? (Lowen et al., 1996; Velázquez & Ramírez, Pinto 2014); CANINDEYÚ: Reserva Natural del Bosque Mbaracayú? (Hill & Padwe, 2000; Zuercher et al., 2022); ITAPÚA: Área para Parque Nacional San Rafael? (Smith et al., 2006); PRESIDENTE HAYES: Estancia Tinfunqué (Gamarra de Fox & Martin, 1996).

Photographic records: BOQUERÓN: Estancia Iparoma (SDR); PRESIDENTE HAYES: Chaco Lodge (H. del Castillo, FPMAM918 PH).

Reliable observations: BOQUERÓN: Mariscal Estigarribia ( PS); PRESIDENTE HAYES: Laguna Capitán ( PS, SDR) .

Figures

Fig.5 - Distribution of Conepatus chinga in Paraguay.Specimen examined (yellow circle); Specimen not examined (blue triangle); Literature reference (green square); Photographic record (red hexagon); Reliable observation (purple star). / Distribuzione di Conepatus chinga in Paraguay. Esemplare esaminato (cerchio giallo); esemplare non esaminato (triangolo blu); riferimento bibliografico (quadrato verde); documen- tazione fotografica (esagono rosso); osservazione affidabile (stella viola).