Spilogale gracilis

Spilogale gracilis or Western Spotted Skunk Skull measures 2.2 x 1.6 x 1. Skunk Skull is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. Cast from original specimen. Skull is Male. 2-part skull

With a total length of 14–18 in., the Spilogale gracilis or Western Spotted Skunk is smaller than the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). Males, which weigh 11.9 to 25.9 oz., are significantly heavier than females, at 8.0 to 17.0 oz., but only about 6% longer, on average. The adult is boldly striped black and creamy white, with three longitudinal stripes on each side of the front part of the body, and three vertical stripes on the hind-parts.

The ears are short and rounded, while the face is marked with a white spot between the eyes, and a white patch below each ear. The Spilogale gracilis or Western Spotted Skunk has a conspicuously large, long-haired tail, measuring 3.9 to 6.3 in. The hair on the tail is mostly black, but is white at the tip, and sometimes also on the upper surface.

As with other related species, Spilogale gracilis or Western Spotted Skunks possess a pair of large musk glands that open just inside the anus, and which can spray their contents through muscular action. The musk is similar to that of striped skunks, but contains 2-phenylethanethiol as an additional component, and lacks some of the compounds produced by the other species. These differences are said to give western spotted skunk musk a more pungent odor, but not to spread as widely as that of striped skunks.