TAXONOMIC STATUS OF WHITE-BACKED HOG-NOSED SKUNKS, GENUS CONEPATUS (CARNIVORA: MEPHITIDAE)

The taxonomic status of white-backed hog-nosed skunks (genus Conepatus, subgenus Oryctogale) was examined using external and cranial morphology as well as mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid sequence. Two species, Conepatus leuconotus and C. mesoleucus, and their subspecies were determined to repres...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of mammalogy 2003-02, Vol.84 (1), p.159-176
Main Authors: Dragoo, Jerry W., Honeycutt, Rodney L., Schmidly, David J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Biological taxonomies
Canyons
Classification
Conepatus
Conservation
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
FEATURE ARTICLES
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
hog-nosed skunks
Mammalia
Mammalogy
Mammals
Mephitidae
Mitochondrial DNA
Natural history
Skunks
Stripes
Taxa
taxonomy
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
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Description
Summary:The taxonomic status of white-backed hog-nosed skunks (genus Conepatus, subgenus Oryctogale) was examined using external and cranial morphology as well as mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid sequence. Two species, Conepatus leuconotus and C. mesoleucus, and their subspecies were determined to represent only a single species, C. leuconotus. Within this species there are 3 management units, or subspecies, recognized conservatively. These subspecies are C. l. leuconotus (including C. l. texensis, C. m. mearnsi, C. m. mesoleucus, C. m. nelsoni, C. m. venaticus, C. m. nicaraguae, C. m. sonoriensis, and C. m. filipensis); C. l. figginsi (=C. m. figginsi and including C. m. fremonti); and C. l. telmalestes (=C. m. telmalestes). In the case of C. l. figginsi and C. l. telmalestes, further genetic research may indicate that these taxa are not valid, but the populations that they represent (if not extinct) will require different management strategies from the wide-ranging C. l. leuconotus.
ISSN:0022-2372
1545-1542
DOI:10.1644/1545-1542%282003%29084%3C0159%3ATSOWBH%3E2.0.CO%3B2