Island Spotted Skunk Conservation Plan
![]() The Island Spotted Skunk Conservation Plan was developed following discussion by members of the nascent Island Spotted Skunk Working Group at a meeting in Ventura, California on January 16th and 17th, 2020. This document is adapted from a similar plan developed by the Eastern Spotted Skunk Cooperative Study Group. In 2021 and 2022, the plan was updated to incorporate new research and findings from the past year of skunk work.
Primary goals of the document include: 1) to summarize what is known about the island spotted skunk and its current status; and 2) to identify the knowledge gaps that should be the target of future research, monitoring, and management actions to advance island spotted skunk conservation. Recommended citation: Island Spotted Skunk Working Group. (2022). Island Spotted Skunk Conservation Plan. Accessed [Date] from islandspottedskunks.com. |
Selected Island Spotted Skunk Publications
Schamel, J., Guglielmino, A., Baker, S., Sandhaus, E., Seal Faith, N., Cypher, B., Page, H., Emery, K., and S. Newsome. (2023). Using Stable Isotopes to Assess A Decade of Dietary Resource Use in Two Sympatric Island Endemics: The Island Fox and Island Spotted Skunk. California Islands Symposium; November 8, 2023; Ventura, CA.
Brenner, L. J. & Little, A. (2022). The Rarest of the Rare: Despite Ecosystem Improvements, Island Spotted Skunk Numbers Remain Low. The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2022.
Zhang, V. Y., Gagorik, C. N., Brenner, L. J., Boser, C. L., Theimer, T. C., & Buck, C. L. (2022). Interspecific asymmetries in behavioral plasticity drive seasonal patterns of temporal niche partitioning in an island carnivore community. Integrative and Comparative Biology, icac113.
Tran, E. (2022). A comparative analysis of Santa Cruz Island fox and island spotted skunk microbiomes. Senior thesis, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University.
Bolas, E. C., Quinn, C. B., Van Vuren, D. H., Lee, A., Vanderzwan, S. L., Floyd, C. H., Jones, K. L., Shaskey, L., & Sacks, B. N. (2022). Pattern and timing of mitochondrial divergence of island spotted skunks on the California Channel Islands. Journal of Mammalogy, gyac008
Bolas, E. C., Sollmann, R., Crooks, K. R., Boydston, E. E., Shaskey, L., Boser, C. L., Dillon, A., & Van Vuren, D. H. (2021). Role of microhabitat and temporal activity in facilitating coexistence of endemic carnivores on the California Channel Islands. Journal of Mammalogy.
Bolas, E. C., Sollmann, R., Crooks, K. R., Shaskey, L., Boser, C. L., Bakker, V. J., Dillon, A., & Van Vuren, D. H. (2020). Assessing methods for detecting island spotted skunks. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 44(2), 309-313.
Gagorik, C. (2020). Spatial Use Patterns and Management Recommendations for Two Endemic California Channel Island Mesocarnivores, the Island Spotted Skunk (Spilogale gracilis amphiala) and the Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis) (Master's thesis, Northern Arizona University).
Bolas, E. (2020). Ecology and Conservation of Island Spotted Skunks: Understanding Microhabitat Associations and Techniques for Monitoring (Master's thesis, University of California, Davis).
Jones, K. L., Van Vuren, D. H., McEachern, M. B., Crooks, K. R., Dragoo, J. W., & May, B. (2013). Spatial and genetic organization of the island spotted skunk, Spilogale gracilis amphiala. The Southwestern Naturalist, 58(4), 481-486.
Floyd, C. H., Van Vuren, D. H., Crooks, K. R., Jones, K. L., Garcelon, D. K., Belfiore, N. M., ... & May, B. (2011). Genetic differentiation of island spotted skunks, Spilogale gracilis amphiala. Journal of Mammalogy, 92(1), 148-158.
Jones, K. L., Crooks, K. R., & Van Vuren, D. H. (2008). Sudden increase in a rare endemic carnivore: Ecology of the island spotted skunk. Journal of Mammalogy, 89(1), 75-86.
Bakker, Victoria J., Dirk H. Van Vuren, Kevin R. Crooks, Cheryl A. Scott, Jeffery T. Wilcox, and David K. Garcelon. Serologic survey of the island spotted skunk on Santa Cruz Island. Western North American Naturalist 66, no. 4 (2006): 456-461.
Crooks, K. R., Garcelon, D. K., Scott, C. A., Depue, J. E., Wilcox, J. T., Kimsey, R. B., & Van Vuren, D. H. (2004). Ectoparasites of a threatened insular endemic mammalian carnivore: the island spotted skunk. The American Midland Naturalist, 151(1), 35-41.
Crooks, K. R., Garcelon, D. K., Scott, C. A., Wilcox, J. T., Timm, S. F., et al. (2003). Hematology and serum chemistry of the island spotted skunk on Santa Cruz Island. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 39(2), 460-466.
Collins, P.W. 1998. Channel Islands spotted skunk, Spilogale putorius amphialia. Terrestrial Mammal Species of Special Concern, Bolster, B.C., Ed., 144-147.
Crooks, K., & Van Vuren, D. (1995). Resource utilization by two insular endemic mammalian carnivores, the island fox and island spotted skunk. Oecologia, 104, 301-307.
Crooks, K. (1994). Demography and status of the island fox and the island spotted skunk on Santa Cruz Island, California. The Southwestern Naturalist, 39(3), 257-262.
Crooks, K. (1994). Den-site selection in the island spotted skunk of Santa Cruz Island, California. The Southwestern Naturalist, 39(4), 354-357.
Brenner, L. J. & Little, A. (2022). The Rarest of the Rare: Despite Ecosystem Improvements, Island Spotted Skunk Numbers Remain Low. The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2022.
Zhang, V. Y., Gagorik, C. N., Brenner, L. J., Boser, C. L., Theimer, T. C., & Buck, C. L. (2022). Interspecific asymmetries in behavioral plasticity drive seasonal patterns of temporal niche partitioning in an island carnivore community. Integrative and Comparative Biology, icac113.
Tran, E. (2022). A comparative analysis of Santa Cruz Island fox and island spotted skunk microbiomes. Senior thesis, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University.
Bolas, E. C., Quinn, C. B., Van Vuren, D. H., Lee, A., Vanderzwan, S. L., Floyd, C. H., Jones, K. L., Shaskey, L., & Sacks, B. N. (2022). Pattern and timing of mitochondrial divergence of island spotted skunks on the California Channel Islands. Journal of Mammalogy, gyac008
Bolas, E. C., Sollmann, R., Crooks, K. R., Boydston, E. E., Shaskey, L., Boser, C. L., Dillon, A., & Van Vuren, D. H. (2021). Role of microhabitat and temporal activity in facilitating coexistence of endemic carnivores on the California Channel Islands. Journal of Mammalogy.
Bolas, E. C., Sollmann, R., Crooks, K. R., Shaskey, L., Boser, C. L., Bakker, V. J., Dillon, A., & Van Vuren, D. H. (2020). Assessing methods for detecting island spotted skunks. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 44(2), 309-313.
Gagorik, C. (2020). Spatial Use Patterns and Management Recommendations for Two Endemic California Channel Island Mesocarnivores, the Island Spotted Skunk (Spilogale gracilis amphiala) and the Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis) (Master's thesis, Northern Arizona University).
Bolas, E. (2020). Ecology and Conservation of Island Spotted Skunks: Understanding Microhabitat Associations and Techniques for Monitoring (Master's thesis, University of California, Davis).
Jones, K. L., Van Vuren, D. H., McEachern, M. B., Crooks, K. R., Dragoo, J. W., & May, B. (2013). Spatial and genetic organization of the island spotted skunk, Spilogale gracilis amphiala. The Southwestern Naturalist, 58(4), 481-486.
Floyd, C. H., Van Vuren, D. H., Crooks, K. R., Jones, K. L., Garcelon, D. K., Belfiore, N. M., ... & May, B. (2011). Genetic differentiation of island spotted skunks, Spilogale gracilis amphiala. Journal of Mammalogy, 92(1), 148-158.
Jones, K. L., Crooks, K. R., & Van Vuren, D. H. (2008). Sudden increase in a rare endemic carnivore: Ecology of the island spotted skunk. Journal of Mammalogy, 89(1), 75-86.
Bakker, Victoria J., Dirk H. Van Vuren, Kevin R. Crooks, Cheryl A. Scott, Jeffery T. Wilcox, and David K. Garcelon. Serologic survey of the island spotted skunk on Santa Cruz Island. Western North American Naturalist 66, no. 4 (2006): 456-461.
Crooks, K. R., Garcelon, D. K., Scott, C. A., Depue, J. E., Wilcox, J. T., Kimsey, R. B., & Van Vuren, D. H. (2004). Ectoparasites of a threatened insular endemic mammalian carnivore: the island spotted skunk. The American Midland Naturalist, 151(1), 35-41.
Crooks, K. R., Garcelon, D. K., Scott, C. A., Wilcox, J. T., Timm, S. F., et al. (2003). Hematology and serum chemistry of the island spotted skunk on Santa Cruz Island. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 39(2), 460-466.
Collins, P.W. 1998. Channel Islands spotted skunk, Spilogale putorius amphialia. Terrestrial Mammal Species of Special Concern, Bolster, B.C., Ed., 144-147.
Crooks, K., & Van Vuren, D. (1995). Resource utilization by two insular endemic mammalian carnivores, the island fox and island spotted skunk. Oecologia, 104, 301-307.
Crooks, K. (1994). Demography and status of the island fox and the island spotted skunk on Santa Cruz Island, California. The Southwestern Naturalist, 39(3), 257-262.
Crooks, K. (1994). Den-site selection in the island spotted skunk of Santa Cruz Island, California. The Southwestern Naturalist, 39(4), 354-357.