Spotted Skunk Spotted in Northwest Georgia

(Photo: Austin Bradford/Georgia DNR)

See the brushy-tailed critter in the center of this game camera image? That’s an eastern spotted skunk. The image taken July 29 marks the first documented sighting of a spotted skunk in Walker County. But DNR Program Manager Katrina Morris is convinced there are more in northwest Georgia, and even across the state. Once common in the eastern U.S., eastern spotted skunks – unlike their larger cousin, the striped skunk – have become rare. Why is unclear. However, with sightings typically increasing as the weather cools and more game cams in use as deer season nears, Morris is encouraging Georgians to report spotted skunk sightings. Upload images and details to the Eastern Spotted Skunk project (which has a map of sightings in Tennessee and Alabama, as well) or email them to her (include latitude/longitude coordinates, data usually tagged in smartphone photos). Whether from live shots, road-kills or incidental captures by trappers, the reports will help researchers better understand the distribution and status of this secretive skunk. 

Learn more.

Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources

Eastern spotted skunk. (Photo: Grayson Smith / USFWS)

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