From 2017 to 2019, OSU researchers studied western spotted skunks in a research forest an hour east of Eugene.
PORTLAND, Ore. — There’s an elusive carnivore roaming the forests of Oregon — but it’s probably not the kind of carnivore you typically think of. A research team from Oregon State University has published the results of a two-year study of the habits of western spotted skunks from 2017 to 2019.
Marie Tosa was an undergraduate student at OSU at the time. Tar Levy, associate professor at Oregon State University of Agricultural Sciences and advisor at Tosa University; Damon Resmeister of the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station in Corvallis conducted research on western spotted skunks.
“This is a really, really cool creature, but we don’t know much about it,” Tosa said in an interview with KGW News.
The western spotted skunk differs from the common skunk in that it weighs only 1 to 2 pounds, has spots rather than stripes, and is about the size of a squirrel. Researchers studied skunks at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, a roughly 16,000-acre research forest about an hour east of Eugene.
“They have distinguishable markings, but they move in a variety of ways, so it’s very difficult to tell them apart. They can wiggle, and their fur is smooth, so those spots actually “It becomes difficult to identify individuals,” Tosa said. “They play a very important role as small mammals that can control diseases that humans don’t like and outbreaks of small mammals.”
Once Tosa captured the skunk, he fitted it with a radio collar to track its movements. The researchers studied their range and found that they range around 12 square miles in search of food and a place to sleep. Tosa said it has a wider range than other animals of its size. Even deer, for example, only cover half a square mile.
“This was a real surprise to us. Compared to spotted skunks, they have a much wider range,” Tosa said.
She also learned that western spotted skunks prefer mixed forests, but prefer old-growth forests.
“We think they’re looking for food there, but they actually need a snag or a large structure like a living tree with a rotten heart inside,” Tosa said. . “It’s hollow on the inside, or rather, it’s a big log for resting during the day.”
Tosa said the population is decreasing. The university says the skunk population declined by about 90% between 1940 and 1950, and by 99% in 1980. It is currently listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and was under consideration for registration as an endangered species. Seed law.
Tosa noticed the drop in temperature during a survey in the winter of 2019, when there was cold, wet snow.
“We don’t really know why that happened, but one reason we think it happened is because these skunks have a very high metabolism and very thin skin.” said Tosa. “So when you’re very cold and very wet, you’re probably not able to maintain body heat.”
Don’t expect to see these creatures in the wild. Tosa says they are more afraid of you than you are and are more active at night.
Tosa-san gave this advice if something crosses your path: “Enjoy the fact that you were able to see one of these creatures. It’s very rare to see them in the wild.”
Tosa estimated that the animals were sprayed 50 to 100 times during the process of investigating and capturing them, and said the odor was similar to garlic and eventually became sweet. She said hydrogen peroxide paste, Dawn dish soap and baking soda helped get rid of the odor.
“These western spotted skunks are just energetic little creatures. Every time we handled them, they inevitably ended up getting sprayed.”
This research was recently published in the ecology journal Ecosphere.
