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
Synonyms
Patagonian Hog-nosed Skunk

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

These skunks are small and stocky, with a bare nose used for rooting up insects and plants. Their fur is brownish-red with two symmetrical stripes on either side, extending to the tail. They range from 30 cm-34 cm in the body to 17 cm-21 cm in the tail. They usually weigh 1.5 to 3 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. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 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, http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mripas/at/2001/00000046/00000001/art00011