Spilogale pygmaea

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	CARNIVORA	MEPHITIDAE

Scientific Name:

Spilogale pygmaea

Species Authority:

Thomas, 1898

Common Name/s:

English	–	Pygmy Spotted Skunk
Spanish	–	Zorrillo Pigmeo

Taxonomic Notes:

Based on patterns of mtDNA variation in Mustelidae, Dragoo and Honeycut (1997) recommended that skunks (Mephitis, Conepatus, Spilogale) and the Oriental Stink Badger (Mydaus) be separated as a distinct family (Mephitidae). Wozencraft (2005) recognized the family Mephitidae. Ewer (1973) argued that Spilogale pygmaea is conspecific with S. putorius.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable A2c ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Cuarón, A.D. & Helgen, H.

Reviewer/s:

Duckworth, J.W. (Small Carnivore Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
This species is listed as Vulnerable due to an ongoing population reduction estimated to be greater than 30% over the past 3 generations (suspected to be 15 years) inferred from rates of habitat loss. The species has a limited and discontinuous range in a area of Mexico which is developing rapidly, and is threatened as a result of human activities related to tourism development. Although the species occurs in a variety of habitats and it is able to survive under human-disturbed conditions - in these same areas dogs and cats present a threat.

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/least concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The Pygmy skunk is a small carnivore endemic to the tropical Pacific Coast of Mexico, from Sinaloa south to Oaxaca (Medellín et al., 1998). The species is found from 0-1630 meters, but is most common below 350 m.
Countries:	Native: Mexico
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Spilogale pygmaea is a scarce species, but seems to be able to survive under human-disturbed conditions if enough habitat is preserved (Schreiber et al., 1989).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Spilogale pygmaea inhabits deciduous tropical forest, semi-evergreen forest, and desert scrub (Ceballos and Miranda, 1986). One specimen was obtained in coastal sand dunes with only herbaceous vegetational cover (López-Forment and Urbano, 1979). Although most individuals have been found in undisturbed habitats, they are capable of penetrating into agricultural zones and pastures (Ceballos and Miranda, 1986). Altitudinal distribution is usually 0-100 m above sea level (Van Gelder, 1959). The mean home range was 20.4 ha with male home ranges larger than those of females (Cantú-Salazar et al., 1999). Spilogale pygmaea is a noctumal species that makes dens underground or in fallen logs, among rocks, or simply under dense vegetation cover. Food habits consist of insects, spiders, birds, eggs, small mammals, and some fruit and seeds (Ceballos and Miranda, 1986).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Spilogale pygmaea inhabits deciduous tropical forest, semi-evergreen forest, and desert scrub (Ceballos and Miranda, 1986). One specimen was obtained in coastal sand dunes with only herbaceous vegetational cover (López-Forment and Urbano, 1979). Although most individuals have been found in undisturbed habitats, they are capable of penetrating into agricultural zones and pastures (Ceballos and Miranda, 1986). Altitudinal distribution is usually 0-100 m above sea level (Van Gelder, 1959). The mean home range was 20.4 ha with male home ranges larger than those of females (Cantú-Salazar et al., 1999). Spilogale pygmaea is a noctumal species that makes dens underground or in fallen logs, among rocks, or simply under dense vegetation cover. Food habits consist of insects, spiders, birds, eggs, small mammals, and some fruit and seeds (Ceballos and Miranda, 1986).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The rapidly expanding tourist developments occurring in the small range of S. pygmaea along the Pacific Coast of Mexico, together with its discontinuous distribution along the coastline, are probably having a negative effect on this species (Ceballos and Navarro, 1991). Some individuals are stuffed and sold as souvenirs in stores at Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico (Medellín pers. comm.). The great pressure to develop the west coast of Mexico for resorts, roads, and tourist cities is currently destroying much of the habitat of this as well as other endemic species of Mexico (Dinerstein et al., 1995; Ramamoorthy et al. 1993). Dogs and cats will prey on this species around human populations.

Major Threat(s):

The rapidly expanding tourist developments occurring in the small range of S. pygmaea along the Pacific Coast of Mexico, together with its discontinuous distribution along the coastline, are probably having a negative effect on this species (Ceballos and Navarro, 1991). Some individuals are stuffed and sold as souvenirs in stores at Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico (Medellín pers. comm.). The great pressure to develop the west coast of Mexico for resorts, roads, and tourist cities is currently destroying much of the habitat of this as well as other endemic species of Mexico (Dinerstein et al., 1995; Ramamoorthy et al. 1993). Dogs and cats will prey on this species around human populations.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The species is considered vulnerable (Ceballos and Navarro, 1991) and listed since 1994 as threatened by the federal governrnent of Mexico. Its presence in protected areas has been confirmed in the recently decreed, Cuixrnala Biosphere reserve, which is continuous with the Chamela Reserve of the National University of Mexico, located on the coast of Jalisco (Medellín et al., 1998).

Conservation Actions:

The species is considered vulnerable (Ceballos and Navarro, 1991) and listed since 1994 as threatened by the federal governrnent of Mexico. Its presence in protected areas has been confirmed in the recently decreed, Cuixrnala Biosphere reserve, which is continuous with the Chamela Reserve of the National University of Mexico, located on the coast of Jalisco (Medellín et al., 1998).

Bibliography [top]

	Cantú-Salazar, L., Hidalgo-Mihart, M. G., Lopez-Gonzalez, M. G. and Gonzalez-Romero, A. 1999. Ecology of the Pygmy spotted skunk (Spilogale pygmaea) in the Chamela Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, Mexico: preliminary findings. Small Carnivore Conservation 21: 1-2. Ceballos, G. and Miranda, A. 1986. Los mamíferos de Chamela, Jalisco: manual de campo. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, México City, Mexico. Ceballos, G. and Navarro, D. 1991. Diversity and conservation of Mexican mammals. In: M. A. Mares and D. J. Schmidly (eds), Latin American mammalogy history, biodiversity, and conservation, pp. 167-198. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, USA. Dinerstein, E., Olson, D. M., Graham, D. J., Webster, A. L., Primm, S. A., Bookbinder, M. P. and Ledec, G. 1995. A conservation assessment of the terrestrial ecoregions of Latin America and the Caribbean. The World Bank and World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA. Dragoo, J. W. and Honeycutt, L. 1997. Systematics of Mustelid-like carnivores. Journal of Mammalogy 78: 426-443. Ewer, R. 1973. The carnivores. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. IUCN. 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 5 October 2008). López-Forment, T. W. and Urbano, G. V. 1979. Historia natural del zorrillo machado pigmeo, Spilogale pygmaea, con la descripción de una nueva subespecie. Anales del Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México Serie Zoologia (l) 50: 721-728. Medellín, R. A., Ceballos, G. and Zarza, H. 1998. Spilogale pygmaea. Mammalian Species 600: 1-3. Ramamoorthy, T. P., Bye, R., Lot, A. and Fa, J. 1993. Biological diversity of Mexico: origins and distribution. Oxford University Press, New York, USA. Schreiber, A., Wirth, R., Riffel, M. and Van Rompaey, H. 1989. Weasels, civets, mongooses, and their relatives. An Action Plan for the conservation of mustelids and viverrids. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. Van Gelder, R. G. 1959. A taxonomic revision of the spotted skunks (genus Spilogale). Buletin of the American Museum of Natural History 117: 229-392. Wozencraft, W. C. 2005. Order Carnivora. In: D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World: A taxonomic and geographic reference. Third Edition, pp. 532-628. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA.

Cantú-Salazar, L., Hidalgo-Mihart, M. G., Lopez-Gonzalez, M. G. and Gonzalez-Romero, A. 1999. Ecology of the Pygmy spotted skunk (Spilogale pygmaea) in the Chamela Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, Mexico: preliminary findings. Small Carnivore Conservation 21: 1-2.

Ceballos, G. and Miranda, A. 1986. Los mamíferos de Chamela, Jalisco: manual de campo. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, México City, Mexico.

Ceballos, G. and Navarro, D. 1991. Diversity and conservation of Mexican mammals. In: M. A. Mares and D. J. Schmidly (eds), Latin American mammalogy history, biodiversity, and conservation, pp. 167-198. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, USA.

Dinerstein, E., Olson, D. M., Graham, D. J., Webster, A. L., Primm, S. A., Bookbinder, M. P. and Ledec, G. 1995. A conservation assessment of the terrestrial ecoregions of Latin America and the Caribbean. The World Bank and World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA.

Dragoo, J. W. and Honeycutt, L. 1997. Systematics of Mustelid-like carnivores. Journal of Mammalogy 78: 426-443.

Ewer, R. 1973. The carnivores. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York.

IUCN. 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 5 October 2008).

López-Forment, T. W. and Urbano, G. V. 1979. Historia natural del zorrillo machado pigmeo, Spilogale pygmaea, con la descripción de una nueva subespecie. Anales del Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México Serie Zoologia (l) 50: 721-728.

Medellín, R. A., Ceballos, G. and Zarza, H. 1998. Spilogale pygmaea. Mammalian Species 600: 1-3.

Ramamoorthy, T. P., Bye, R., Lot, A. and Fa, J. 1993. Biological diversity of Mexico: origins and distribution. Oxford University Press, New York, USA.

Schreiber, A., Wirth, R., Riffel, M. and Van Rompaey, H. 1989. Weasels, civets, mongooses, and their relatives. An Action Plan for the conservation of mustelids and viverrids. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Van Gelder, R. G. 1959. A taxonomic revision of the spotted skunks (genus Spilogale). Buletin of the American Museum of Natural History 117: 229-392.

Wozencraft, W. C. 2005. Order Carnivora. In: D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World: A taxonomic and geographic reference. Third Edition, pp. 532-628. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA.

Citation:	Cuarón, A.D. & Helgen, H. 2008. Spilogale pygmaea. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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