Home Range, Movements, and Habitat Utilization of Striped Skunk (&lt;em&gt;Mephitis mephitis&lt;/em&gt;) in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada: Disease Management Implications

Rosatte, Rick; Kelly, Paula; Power, Mike

doi:10.22621/cfn.v125i1.1121

Cited by 12 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Birdfeeders can increase avian survival over winter when food is scarce in the surrounding landscape (Siriwardena et al 2007 , Fuller et al 2008 , Jones and Reynolds 2008 , Schoech et al 2008 , Plummer et al 2019 ). Similar findings have also been documented for overwintering striped skunks ( Mephitis mephitis ) in Canada (Rosatte et al 2011 ), and red kites ( Milvus milvus ) undergoing species recovery in the UK (Orros and Fellowes 2015 ).…”

Section: How Can Cities Benefit Regional Ecosystems?supporting

confidence: 80%

The Biological Deserts Fallacy: Cities in Their Landscapes Contribute More than We Think to Regional Biodiversity

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cities are both embedded within and ecologically linked to their surrounding landscapes. Although urbanization poses a substantial threat to biodiversity, cities also support many species, some of which have larger populations, faster growth rates, and higher productivity in cities than outside of them. Despite this fact, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the potentially beneficial links between cities and their surroundings. We identify five pathways by which cities can benefit regional ecosystems by releasing species from threats in the larger landscape, increasing regional habitat heterogeneity and genetic diversity, acting as migratory stopovers, preadapting species to climate change, and enhancing public engagement and environmental stewardship. Increasing recognition of these pathways could help cities identify effective strategies for supporting regional biodiversity conservation and could provide a science-based platform for incorporating biodiversity alongside other urban greening goals.

show abstract

Section: How Can Cities Benefit Regional Ecosystems?supporting

confidence: 80%

The Biological Deserts Fallacy: Cities in Their Landscapes Contribute More than We Think to Regional Biodiversity

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Skunks are common peridomestic animals throughout North America that thrive in parks, urban areas and farmland (Ferguson and Heidt, ; Bixler and Gittleman, ; Root et al., ). Home range size averages 0.9 km 2 , varying from 0.1 to 5 km 2 and regularly overlaps with other peridomestic species such as raccoons (Bixler and Gittleman, ; Gehrt, ; Rosatte et al., ). Skunks feed on dead birds and predate insects, small rodents, snakes and waterfowl eggs (Crabtree and Wolfe, ; Rosatte et al., ) but will also scavenge pet and livestock feeds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Home range size averages 0.9 km 2 , varying from 0.1 to 5 km 2 and regularly overlaps with other peridomestic species such as raccoons (Bixler and Gittleman, ; Gehrt, ; Rosatte et al., ). Skunks feed on dead birds and predate insects, small rodents, snakes and waterfowl eggs (Crabtree and Wolfe, ; Rosatte et al., ) but will also scavenge pet and livestock feeds. Greatest overlap of home ranges in one study coincided with a campground where hand feeding of wildlife was routinely practiced by park patrons supporting the observation that skunks will habituate to human contact and residential areas, particularly when there is a food reward (Bixler and Gittleman, ; Gehrt, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Rabies: Are Free-Ranging Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in British Columbia Reservoirs of Emerging Infection?

Britton

Redford

Bidulka

et al. 2015

Transbound Emerg Dis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Wild animal reservoirs are an important source of emerging and zoonotic infection. Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are a reservoir of skunk strain rabies virus in Canada, with the exception of some areas including the province of British Columbia (BC). Beyond rabies, the reservoir status of skunks for emerging and zoonotic pathogens in BC is unknown. From March 2011 to February 2015, 50 free-ranging skunks were necropsied and tested for 4 pathogens: influenza A, Aleutian disease virus (ADV), Leptospira spp. and Salmonella spp. Two skunks (4%) with respiratory disease caused by influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 were detected during the human flu season suggesting that skunks may represent a target population for reverse zoonosis of this strain of influenza A virus. High prevalence of ADV infection was detected (43/50, 86%). Two of the infected skunks exhibited Aleutian disease (AD) suggesting that skunks act as both a reservoir and a target population for the virus. Most studies of ADV have focused on the potential for infection of free-ranging species living near mink farms. Our study suggests that urban skunks may be a primary host for the virus independent of domestic mink. Whether skunks act as a reservoir of ADV infection for other peridomestic species will depend on host specificity of the viral strains. Leptospira interrogans was detected in 18% (9/49) of the skunks. Identification of the serovar(s) detected is needed to determine any public health risk of leptospirosis following exposure to infected skunks. Salmonella spp. was isolated from three of 43 skunks (7%), specifically S. Typhimurium, S. Muenchen and S. Enteritidis. These serotypes cause disease in humans, but the low prevalence of infection suggests there is a low risk for zoonotic transmission.

show abstract

Temporal and interspecific comparisons reveal shifts in the distributions of two Florida skunk species

Doran‐Myers,

Gillikin,

Barrett

et al. 2024

J Wildl Manag

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding the distribution of wildlife species is key to their effective conservation and management. Comparing distributions of similar species can provide valuable insights regarding range overlap and how overlap changes over time. We estimated the geographic distributions of 2 skunk species, the eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) and the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), in Florida, USA, for historical (1997–2002) and contemporary (2017–2022) periods using opportunistic presence data (e.g., public sightings, camera trap records, live trap records). For each species, we produced range models at 2 levels: a generalized boundary (range extent) using a concave hull and a more detailed delineation (occupied range) using kernel density estimation. We expected spotted skunk range to decline (as it has elsewhere), striped skunk range to remain stable, and both species' ranges to have a relatively high geographic overlap. The contemporary models show spotted skunk range encompassing 26% of Florida land area, primarily in southern and coastal Florida, and striped skunk range encompassing 55% of Florida land area, primarily in northern and interior Florida. Range size for spotted skunk declined by approximately 30% between periods, although range expansion occurred in some localized areas. Range size for striped skunk was stable over time, with some localized contractions and expansions. Considerable temporal shifts occurred in skunk distribution, where only 34% of spotted skunk and 54% of striped skunk occupied range remained spatially constant between periods. Divergent geographic use between the 2 species increased over time, yielding a low range overlap of 23% between their contemporary occupied ranges. Our study fills a spatial data gap in skunk research, can inform state‐ or species‐level conservation decisions for spotted skunk, and supports the need for further research on habitat requirements of skunks in Florida.

show abstract

Home Range, Movements, and Habitat Utilization of Striped Skunk (<em>Mephitis mephitis</em>) in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada: Disease Management Implications

Cited by 12 publications

References 5 publications

The Biological Deserts Fallacy: Cities in Their Landscapes Contribute More than We Think to Regional Biodiversity

The Biological Deserts Fallacy: Cities in Their Landscapes Contribute More than We Think to Regional Biodiversity

Beyond Rabies: Are Free-Ranging Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in British Columbia Reservoirs of Emerging Infection?

Temporal and interspecific comparisons reveal shifts in the distributions of two Florida skunk species

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About