Mephitidae

Also known as skunk family

Mephitidae is a family of mammals comprising the skunks and stink badgers. They are noted for the great development of their anal scent glands, which they use to deter predators. Skunks were formerly classified as a subfamily of the Mustelidae (the weasel family); however, in the 1990s, genetic evidence caused skunks to be treated as a separate family. Similarly, the stink badgers had been classified with badgers, but genetic evidence shows they share a more recent common ancestor with skunks, so they are now included in the skunk family. A 2017 study using retroposon markers indicated that th

AI overview

Mephitidae is a family of mammals that includes skunks and stink badgers, animals famous for their highly developed anal scent glands, which they use to spray and deter predators. Genetic evidence from the 1990s revealed that skunks and stink badgers are more closely related to each other than to their previously assumed relatives (weasels and badgers, respectively), leading scientists to reclassify them into this single family.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Mephitidae

FAMILY

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderCarnivora
FamilyMephitidae

Observations recorded64,023

臭鼬科（学名：Mephitidae）是食肉目下的一个科。

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Research

555 papers

Mind-altering microbes.Journal of neurovirology · 2016Jackson ACDOI: 10.1007/s13365-015-0365-8
Prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi, the Etiologic Agent of Chagas Disease, Infection in Texas Skunks (Mammalia: Mephitidae).Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.) · 2023Gulas-Wroblewski BE, Gorchakov R, Kairis RB et al.DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2022.0056
Phylogenomic systematics of the spotted skunks (Carnivora, Mephitidae, Spilogale): Additional species diversity and Pleistocene climate change as a major driver of diversification.Molecular phylogenetics and evolution · 2022McDonough MM, Ferguson AW, Dowler RC et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107266
Chromosome painting shows that skunks (Mephitidae, Carnivora) have highly rearranged karyotypes.Chromosome research : an international journal on the molecular, supramolecular and evolutionary aspects of chromosome biology · 2008Perelman PL, Graphodatsky AS, Dragoo JW et al.DOI: 10.1007/s10577-008-1270-2
Neoyunnanotherium nom. nov., a replacement name for the genus Yunnanotherium Qi, 2014 (Carnivora, Mephitidae) non Han, 1986 (Tragulidae).Zootaxa · 2022Deshmukh UB, Valenciano ADOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5222.3.7
Arthrostoma supriatnai sp. nov. (Nematoda: Ancylostomatidae) parasitic in Mydaus javanensis (Carnivora: Mephitidae) from Mount Ciremai, Java, Indonesia.Zootaxa · 2023Dewi K, Purwaningsih E, Hasegawa HDOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5353.1.7
Rabies.Scientific American · 1980Kaplan MM, Koprowski HDOI: 10.1038/scientificamerican0180-120
Skunk's poked: What now?The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery · 2017Woods RK, Hraska VDOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2016.11.015

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Wikidata facts

Image: Striped skunk, close (21303507080).jpg

Show 4 more facts

Commons category: Mephitidae
taxon name: Mephitidae
taxon common name: skunk
Unicode character: 🦨

Sources (1)

wikidata.org

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~2 min read

Article

2 sections

Contents

Genera
References

There are sixteen extant species of mephitids in four genera: Conepatus (hog-nosed skunks, four species); Mephitis (the hooded and striped skunks, two species); Mydaus (stink badgers, two species); and Spilogale (spotted skunks, eight species). The two stink badgers in the genus Mydaus inhabit Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines; the other members of the family inhabit the Americas, ranging from Canada to central South America. All other mephitids are extinct, known through fossils, including those from Eurasia.