Mephitis (genus)

Genus of carnivores

Mephitis
Hooded skunk (M. macroura) and striped skunk (M. mephitis)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mephitidae
Genus: Mephitis
É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire & G. Cuvier, 1795
Type species
Viverra mephitis
Schreber, 1776
Species

Mephitis mephitis
Mephitis macroura

Mephitis ranges

Mephitis is one of several genera of skunks and comprises two species, both of which are found in North America.

Image Scientific name Common name Distribution
Mephitis mephitis Striped skunk Southern Canada, the United States and northern Mexico
Mephitis macroura Hooded skunk Southwestern United States to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northwest Costa Rica
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Extant species of family Mephitidae
Conepatus
  • Western hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus mesoleucus)
  • Eastern hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus leuconotus)
  • Striped hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus semistriatus)
  • Molina's hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus chinga)
  • Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus humboldtii)
Mydaus
  • Sunda stink badger (Mydaus javanensis)
  • Palawan stink badger (Mydaus marchei)
Mephitis
  • Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
  • Hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura)
Spilogale
  • Western spotted skunk (Spilogale gracilis)
  • Eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius)
  • Pygmy spotted skunk (Spilogale pygmaea)
Category
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Extant Carnivora species
Suborder Feliformia
Nandiniidae
Nandinia
  • African palm civet (N. binotata)
Herpestidae
(Mongooses)
Atilax
  • Marsh mongoose (A. paludinosus)
Bdeogale
  • Bushy-tailed mongoose (B. crassicauda)
  • Jackson's mongoose (B. jacksoni)
  • Black-footed mongoose (B. nigripes)
Crossarchus
  • Alexander's kusimanse (C. alexandri)
  • Angolan kusimanse (C. ansorgei)
  • Common kusimanse (C. obscurus)
  • Flat-headed kusimanse (C. platycephalus)
Cynictis
  • Yellow mongoose (C. penicillata)
Dologale
  • Pousargues's mongoose (D. dybowskii)
Helogale
  • Ethiopian dwarf mongoose (H. hirtula)
  • Common dwarf mongoose (H. parvula)
Herpestes
  • Angolan slender mongoose (H. flavescens)
  • Egyptian mongoose (H. ichneumon)
  • Somalian slender mongoose (H. ochracea)
  • Cape gray mongoose (H. pulverulenta)
  • Common slender mongoose (H. sanguinea)
Ichneumia
  • White-tailed mongoose (I. albicauda)
Liberiictus
  • Liberian mongoose (L. kuhni)
Mungos
  • Gambian mongoose (M. gambianus)
  • Banded mongoose (M. mungo)
Paracynictis
  • Selous's mongoose (P. selousi)
Rhynchogale
  • Meller's mongoose (R. melleri)
Suricata
  • Meerkat (S. suricatta)
Urva
  • Small Indian mongoose (U. auropunctata)
  • Short-tailed mongoose (U. brachyura)
  • Indian grey mongoose (U. edwardsii)
  • Indian brown mongoose (U. fusca)
  • Javan mongoose (U. javanica)
  • Collared mongoose (U. semitorquata)
  • Ruddy mongoose (U. smithii)
  • Crab-eating mongoose (U. urva)
  • Stripe-necked mongoose (U. vitticolla)
Xenogale
  • Long-nosed mongoose (X. naso)
Hyaenidae
(Hyenas)
Crocuta
  • Spotted hyena (C. crocuta)
Hyaena
  • Striped hyena (H. hyaena)
Parahyaena
  • Brown hyena (P. brunnea)
Proteles
  • Aardwolf (P. cristata)
Felidae
Large family listed below
Viverridae
Large family listed below
Eupleridae
Small family listed below
Family Felidae
Felinae
Acinonyx
  • Cheetah (A. jubatus)
Caracal
  • African golden cat (C. aurata)
  • Caracal (C. caracal)
Catopuma
  • Bay cat (C. badia)
  • Asian golden cat (C. temminckii)
Felis
  • Chinese mountain cat (F. bieti)
  • Domestic cat (F. catus)
  • Jungle cat (F. chaus)
  • African wildcat (F. lybica)
  • Sand cat (F. margarita)
  • Black-footed cat (F. nigripes)
  • European wildcat (F. silvestris)
Herpailurus
  • Jaguarundi (H. yagouaroundi)
Leopardus
  • Pampas cat (L. colocola)
  • Geoffroy's cat (L. geoffroyi)
  • Kodkod (L. guigna)
  • Southern tiger cat (L. guttulus)
  • Andean mountain cat (L. jacobita)
  • Ocelot (L. pardalis)
  • Oncilla (L. tigrinus)
  • Margay (L. wiedii)
Leptailurus
  • Serval (L. serval)
Lynx
  • Canada lynx (L. canadensis)
  • Eurasian lynx (L. lynx)
  • Iberian lynx (L. pardinus)
  • Bobcat (L. rufus)
Otocolobus
  • Pallas's cat (O. manul)
Pardofelis
  • Marbled cat (P. marmorata)
Prionailurus
  • Leopard cat (P. bengalensis)
  • Sunda leopard cat (P. javanensis)
  • Flat-headed cat (P. planiceps)
  • Rusty-spotted cat (P. rubiginosus)
  • Fishing cat (P. viverrinus)
Puma
  • Cougar (P. concolor)
Pantherinae
Panthera
  • Lion (P. leo)
  • Jaguar (P. onca)
  • Leopard (P. pardus)
  • Tiger (P. tigris)
  • Snow leopard (P. uncia)
Neofelis
  • Sunda clouded leopard (N. diardi)
  • Clouded leopard (N. nebulosa)
Prionodon
  • Banded linsang (P. linsang)
  • Spotted linsang (P. pardicolor)
Family Viverridae
Paradoxurinae
Arctictis
  • Binturong (A. binturong)
Arctogalidia
  • Small-toothed palm civet (A. trivirgata)
Macrogalidia
  • Sulawesi palm civet (M. musschenbroekii)
Paguma
  • Masked palm civet (P. larvata)
Paradoxurus
  • Asian palm civet (P. hermaphroditus)
  • Brown palm civet (P. jerdoni)
  • Golden palm civet (P. zeylonensis)
Hemigalinae
Chrotogale
  • Owston's palm civet (C. owstoni)
Cynogale
  • Otter civet (C. bennettii)
Diplogale
  • Hose's palm civet (D. hosei)
Hemigalus
  • Banded palm civet (H. derbyanus)
Viverrinae
Civettictis
  • African civet (C. civetta)
Viverra
  • Malabar large-spotted civet (V. civettina)
  • Large-spotted civet (V. megaspila)
  • Malayan civet (V. tangalunga)
  • Large Indian civet (V. zibetha)
Viverricula
  • Small Indian civet (V. indica)
Genettinae
Genetta
(Genets)
  • Abyssinian genet (G. abyssinica)
  • Angolan genet (G. angolensis)
  • Bourlon's genet (G. bourloni)
  • Crested servaline genet (G. cristata)
  • Common genet (G. genetta)
  • Johnston's genet (G. johnstoni)
  • Letaba genet (G. letabae)
  • Rusty-spotted genet (G. maculata)
  • Pardine genet (G. pardina)
  • Aquatic genet (G. piscivora)
  • King genet (G. poensis)
  • Servaline genet (G. servalina)
  • Hausa genet (G. thierryi)
  • Cape genet (G. tigrina)
  • Giant forest genet (G. victoriae)
  • South African small-spotted genet (G. felina)
Poiana
  • Central African oyan (P. richardsonii)
  • West African oyan (P. leightoni)
Family Eupleridae
Euplerinae
Cryptoprocta
  • Fossa (C. ferox)
Eupleres
  • Eastern falanouc (E. goudotii)
  • Western falanouc (E. major)
Fossa
  • Malagasy civet (F. fossana)
Galidiinae
Galidia
  • Ring-tailed vontsira (G. elegans)
Galidictis
  • Broad-striped Malagasy mongoose (G. fasciata)
  • Grandidier's mongoose (G. grandidieri)
Mungotictis
  • Narrow-striped mongoose (M. decemlineata)
Salanoia
  • Brown-tailed mongoose (S. concolor)
  • Durrell's vontsira (S. durrelli)
Suborder Caniformia (cont. below)
Ursidae
(Bears)
Ailuropoda
  • Giant panda (A. melanoleuca)
Helarctos
  • Sun bear (H. malayanus)
Melursus
  • Sloth bear (M. ursinus)
Tremarctos
  • Spectacled bear (T. ornatus)
Ursus
  • American black bear (U. americanus)
  • Brown bear (U. arctos)
  • Polar bear (U. maritimus)
  • Asian black bear (U. thibetanus)
Mephitidae
(Skunks)
Conepatus
(Hog-nosed
skunks)
  • Molina's hog-nosed skunk (C. chinga)
  • Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk (C. humboldtii)
  • American hog-nosed skunk (C. leuconotus)
  • Striped hog-nosed skunk (C. semistriatus)
Mephitis
  • Hooded skunk (M. macroura)
  • Striped skunk (M. mephitis)
Mydaus
  • Sunda stink badger (M. javanensis)
  • Palawan stink badger (M. marchei)
Spilogale
(Spotted skunks)
  • Southern spotted skunk (S. angustifrons)
  • Western spotted skunk (S. gracilis)
  • Eastern spotted skunk (S. putorius)
  • Pygmy spotted skunk (S. pygmaea)
Procyonidae
(Raccoons, coatis, olingos)
Bassaricyon
(Olingos)
  • Eastern lowland olingo (B. alleni)
  • Northern olingo (B. gabbii)
  • Western lowland olingo (B. medius)
  • Olinguito (B. neblina)
Bassariscus
  • Ringtail (B. astutus)
  • Cacomistle (B. sumichrasti)
Nasua
(Coatis inclusive)
  • White-nosed coati (N. narica)
  • South American coati (N. nasua)
Nasuella
(Coatis inclusive)
  • Eastern mountain coati (N. meridensis)
  • Western mountain coati (N. olivacea)
Potos
  • Kinkajou (P. flavus)
Procyon
  • Crab-eating raccoon (P. cancrivorus)
  • Raccoon (P. lotor)
  • Cozumel raccoon (P. pygmaeus)
Ailuridae
Ailurus
  • Red panda (A. fulgens)
Suborder Caniformia (cont. above)
Otariidae
(Eared seals)
(includes fur seals
and sea lions)

(Pinniped inclusive)
Arctocephalus
  • South American fur seal (A. australis)
  • Australasian fur seal (A. forsteri)
  • Galápagos fur seal (A. galapagoensis)
  • Antarctic fur seal (A. gazella)
  • Juan Fernández fur seal (A. philippii)
  • Brown fur seal (A. pusillus)
  • Guadalupe fur seal (A. townsendi)
  • Subantarctic fur seal (A. tropicalis)
Callorhinus
  • Northern fur seal (C. ursinus)
Eumetopias
  • Steller sea lion (E. jubatus)
Neophoca
  • Australian sea lion (N. cinerea)
Otaria
  • South American sea lion (O. flavescens)
Phocarctos
  • New Zealand sea lion (P. hookeri)
Zalophus
  • California sea lion (Z. californianus)
  • Galápagos sea lion (Z. wollebaeki)
Odobenidae
(Pinniped inclusive)
Odobenus
  • Walrus (O. rosmarus)
Phocidae
(Earless seals)
(Pinniped inclusive)
Cystophora
  • Hooded seal (C. cristata)
Erignathus
  • Bearded seal (E. barbatus)
Halichoerus
  • Grey seal (H. grypus)
Histriophoca
  • Ribbon seal (H. fasciata)
Hydrurga
  • Leopard seal (H. leptonyx)
Leptonychotes
  • Weddell seal (L. weddellii)
Lobodon
  • Crabeater seal (L. carcinophagus)
Mirounga
(Elephant seals)
  • Northern elephant seal (M. angustirostris)
  • Southern elephant seal (M. leonina)
Monachus
  • Mediterranean monk seal (M. monachus)
Neomonachus
  • Hawaiian monk seal (N. schauinslandi)
Ommatophoca
  • Ross seal (O. rossi)
Pagophilus
  • Harp seal (P. groenlandicus)
Phoca
  • Spotted seal (P. largha)
  • Harbor seal (P. vitulina)
Pusa
  • Caspian seal (P. caspica)
  • Ringed seal (P. hispida)
  • Baikal seal (P. sibirica)
Canidae
Large family listed below
Mustelidae
Large family listed below
Family Canidae (includes dogs)
Atelocynus
  • Short-eared dog (A. microtis)
Canis
  • Golden jackal (C. aureus)
  • Domestic dog (C. familiaris)
  • Coyote (C. latrans)
  • African wolf (C. lupaster)
  • Wolf (C. lupus)
  • Eastern wolf (C. lycaon)
  • Red wolf (C. rufus)
  • Ethiopian wolf (C. simensis)
Cerdocyon
  • Crab-eating fox (C. thous)
Chrysocyon
  • Maned wolf (C. brachyurus)
Cuon
  • Dhole (C. alpinus)
Lupulella
  • Side-striped jackal (L. adustus)
  • Black-backed jackal (L. mesomelas)
Lycalopex
  • Culpeo (L. culpaeus)
  • Darwin's fox (L. fulvipes)
  • South American gray fox (L. griseus)
  • Pampas fox (L. gymnocercus)
  • Sechuran fox (L. sechurae)
  • Hoary fox (L. vetulus)
Lycaon
  • African wild dog (L. pictus)
Nyctereutes
  • Common raccoon dog (N. procyonoides)
  • Japanese raccoon dog (N. viverrinus)
Otocyon
  • Bat-eared fox (O. megalotis)
Speothos
  • Bush dog (S. venaticus)
Urocyon
  • Gray fox (U. cinereoargenteus)
  • Island fox (U. littoralis)
Vulpes
(Foxes)
  • Bengal fox (V. bengalensis)
  • Blanford's fox (V. cana)
  • Cape fox (V. chama)
  • Corsac fox (V. corsac)
  • Tibetan fox (V. ferrilata)
  • Arctic fox (V. lagopus)
  • Kit fox (V. macrotis)
  • Pale fox (V. pallida)
  • Rüppell's fox (V. rueppelli)
  • Swift fox (V. velox)
  • Red fox (V. vulpes)
  • Fennec fox (V. zerda)
Family Mustelidae
Helictidinae
(Ferret-badgers)
Melogale
  • Vietnam ferret-badger (M. cucphuongensis)
  • Bornean ferret badger (M. everetti)
  • Chinese ferret-badger (M. moschata)
  • Javan ferret-badger (M. orientalis)
  • Burmese ferret-badger (M. personata)
  • Formosan ferret-badger (M. subaurantiaca)
Guloninae
(Martens and wolverines)
Eira
  • Tayra (E. barbara)
Gulo
  • Wolverine (G. gulo)
Martes
(Martens)
  • American marten (M. americana)
  • Pacific marten (M. caurina)
  • Yellow-throated marten (M. flavigula)
  • Beech marten (M. foina)
  • Nilgiri marten (M. gwatkinsii)
  • European pine marten (M. martes)
  • Japanese marten (M. melampus)
  • Sable (M. zibellina)
Pekania
  • Fisher (P. pennanti)
Ictonychinae
(African polecats and grisons)
Galictis
  • Lesser grison (G. cuja)
  • Greater grison (G. vittata)
Ictonyx
  • Saharan striped polecat (I. libyca)
  • Striped polecat (I. striatus)
Lyncodon
  • Patagonian weasel (L. patagonicus)
Poecilogale
  • African striped weasel (P. albinucha)
Vormela
  • Marbled polecat (V. peregusna)
Lutrinae
(Otters)
Aonyx
  • African clawless otter (A. capensis)
  • Asian small-clawed otter (A. cinereus)
  • Congo clawless otter (A. congicus)
Enhydra
  • Sea otter (E. lutris)
Hydrictis
  • Spotted-necked otter (H. maculicollis)
Lontra
  • North American river otter (L. canadensis)
  • Marine otter (L. felina)
  • Neotropical otter (L. longicaudis)
  • Southern river otter (L. provocax)
Lutra
  • Eurasian otter (L. lutra)
  • Hairy-nosed otter (L. sumatrana)
Lutrogale
  • Smooth-coated otter (L. perspicillata)
Pteronura
  • Giant otter (P. brasiliensis)
Melinae
(Eurasian badgers)
Arctonyx
  • Northern hog badger (A. albogularis)
  • Greater hog badger (A. collaris)
  • Sumatran hog badger (A. hoevenii)
Meles
  • Japanese badger (M. anakuma)
  • Caucasian badger (M. canescens)
  • Asian badger (M. leucurus)
  • European badger (M. meles)
Mellivorinae
Mellivora
  • Honey badger (M. capensis)
Mustelinae
(Weasels and minks)
Mustela
(Weasels and ferrets)
  • Sichuan weasel (M. aistoodonnivalis)
  • Mountain weasel (M. altaica)
  • Stoat/Beringian ermine (M. erminea)
  • Steppe polecat (M. eversmannii)
  • Ferret (M. furo)
  • Haida ermine (M. haidarum)
  • Japanese weasel (M. itatsi)
  • Yellow-bellied weasel (M. kathiah)
  • European mink (M. lutreola)
  • Indonesian mountain weasel (M. lutreolina)
  • Black-footed ferret (M. nigripes)
  • Least weasel (M. nivalis)
  • Malayan weasel (M. nudipes)
  • European polecat (M. putorius)
  • American ermine (M. richardsonii)
  • Siberian weasel (M. sibirica)
  • Back-striped weasel (M. strigidorsa)
Neogale
  • Amazon weasel (N. africana)
  • Colombian weasel (N. felipei)
  • Long-tailed weasel (N. frenata)
  • American mink (N. vison)
Taxidiinae
Taxidea
  • American badger (T. taxus)
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Genera of red pandas, raccoons, skunks, mustelids and their extinct allies
  • Peignictis
  • Plesiogale
Ailuridae
Ailurinae
Amphictinae
Simocyoninae
Mephitidae
Procyonidae
  • Acheronictis
  • Aragonictis
  • Arikarictis
  • Circamustela
  • Erokomellivora
  • Franconictis
  • Kenyalutra
  • Kinometaxia
  • Laphyctis
  • Luogale
  • Marcetia
  • Matanomictis
  • Melidellavus
  • Mellalictis
  • Mesomephitis
  • Miomustela
  • Namibictis
  • Oaxacagale
  • Palaeomeles
  • Paragale
  • Parataxidea
  • Perunium
  • Plesictis
  • Plesiogale
  • Plesiomeles
  • Prepoecilogale
  • Presictis
  • Promellivora
  • Proputorius
  • Pyctis
  • Sabadellictis
  • Semantor
  • Sinictis
  • Sivalictis
  • Skopelogale
  • Sonitictis
  • Taxodon
  • Trochotherium
  • Xenictis
  • Zorilla
Guloninae
Helictidinae
Ictonychinae
Lutrinae
Leptarctinae
  • Craterogale
  • Leptarctus
  • Trocharion
Melinae
  • Arctomeles
  • Arctonyx
  • Meles
  • Promeles
Mellivorinae
Mustelavinae
  • Mustelavus
Mustelinae
  • Baranogale
  • Dinogale
  • Lartetictis
  • Legionarictis
  • Mustela
  • Neogale
  • Putorius
  • Tisisthenes
Oligobuninae
Taxidiinae
Taxon identifiers
Mephitis


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