Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk

Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Mephitidae
Genus:	Conepatus
Species:	C. humboldtii
Binomial name
Conepatus humboldtii Gray, 1837
Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk range

Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk, also known as the Patagonian hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus humboldtii) is a type of hog-nosed skunk indigenous to the open grassy areas in the Patagonian regions of Argentina and Chile.

Appearance

This skunk is small and stocky, with a bare nose used for rooting up insects and plants. Its fur is brownish-red with two symmetrical stripes on either side, extending to the tail. It ranges from 30–34 cm in body length, with a 17- to 21-cm tail. They usually weigh 1.5 to 3.0 kg.

Food

Patagonian hog-nosed skunks are primarily insectivorous, but also eat vertebrate prey, such as rodents and carrion during winters, when insects are less abundant.^[2]

References

1. Emmons, L. & Helgen, K. (2008). "Conepatus humboldtii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
2. Zapata, Sonia C.; Travaini, Alejandro; Martínez-Peck, Rolando (January 2001), "Seasonal feeding habits of the Patagonian hog-nosed skunk Conepatus humboldtii in southern Patagonia", Acta Theriologica, 46: 97–102