Mephitidae

Mephitidae; Temporal range: Middle Miocene to present
	Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Superfamily:	Musteloidea
Family:	Mephitidae; Bonaparte, 1845
Genera
	Conepatus; Mydaus; Mephitis (type); Spilogale; †Brachyprotoma; †Palaeomephitis; †Promephitis

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.

There are twelve 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, four species). The two stink badgers in the genus Mydaus inhabit Indonesia 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.[1]

Skunks were formerly classified as a subfamily of the Mustelidae (the weasel family); however, recent genetic evidence has caused skunks to be treated as a separate family.[2] 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.[3][4] In alphabetical order, the living species of Mephitidae are:[5]

Genera

Image	Genus	Living Species
	Conepatus Gray, 1837	Conepatus chinga – Molina's hog-nosed skunk Conepatus humboldtii – Humboldt's hog-nosed skunk Conepatus leuconotus – American hog-nosed skunk Conepatus semistriatus – striped hog-nosed skunk
	Mephitis É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire and Cuvier, 1795	Mephitis macroura – hooded skunk Mephitis mephitis – striped skunk
	Mydaus Cuvier, 1821	Mydaus javanensis – Indonesian or Sunda stink badger (Teledu) Mydaus marchei – Palawan stink badger
	Spilogale Gray, 1865	Spilogale angustifrons – southern spotted skunk Spilogale gracilis – western spotted skunk Spilogale putorius – eastern spotted skunk Spilogale pygmaea – pygmy spotted skunk

References

Xiaoming Wang & Zhanxiang Qiu (2004). "Late Miocene Promephitis (Carnivora, Mephitidae) from China". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 24: 721–731. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2004)024[0721:LMPCMF]2.0.CO;2.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
"Wild Skunk Information". Dragoo Institute for the Betterment of Skunks and Skunk Reputations. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
Koepfli KP, Deere KA, Slater GJ, et al. (2008). "Multigene phylogeny of the Mustelidae: Resolving relationships, tempo and biogeographic history of a mammalian adaptive radiation". BMC Biol. 6: 4–5. doi:10.1186/1741-7007-6-10. PMC 2276185. PMID 18275614.
Mammal Species of the World – Browse: Mephitidae Archived 2012-10-24 at the Wayback Machine. Bucknell.edu. Retrieved on April 5, 2012.
Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.

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[1] Xiaoming Wang & Zhanxiang Qiu (2004). "Late Miocene Promephitis (Carnivora, Mephitidae) from China". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 24: 721–731. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2004)024[0721:LMPCMF]2.0.CO;2.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)

[2] "Wild Skunk Information". Dragoo Institute for the Betterment of Skunks and Skunk Reputations. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2017.

[3] Koepfli KP, Deere KA, Slater GJ, et al. (2008). "Multigene phylogeny of the Mustelidae: Resolving relationships, tempo and biogeographic history of a mammalian adaptive radiation". BMC Biol. 6: 4–5. doi:10.1186/1741-7007-6-10. PMC 2276185. PMID 18275614.

[4] Mammal Species of the World – Browse: Mephitidae Archived 2012-10-24 at the Wayback Machine. Bucknell.edu. Retrieved on April 5, 2012.

[5] Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.