Denning ecology of Molina´s hog-nosed skunk in a grassland relict of central Argentina

CASTILLO, DIEGO; LUENGOS VIDAL, ESTELA; CARUSO, NICOLAS; LUCHERINI, MAURO; CASANAVE, EMMA

MASTOZOOLOGí­A NEOTROPICAL

UNIDAD DE ZOOLOGÍA Y ECOLOGÍA ANIMAL, INSTITUTO ARGENTINO DE INVESTIGACIÓN DE LAS ZONAS ARIDAS, CRICYT, CONICET

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2013 vol. 20 p. 373 - 379

0327-9383

To investigate the factors affecting den site selection in Conepatus chinga, we identifiedand characterized 199 (males: n = 108, females: n = 91) dens used by seven radio-tracked skunksfrom August 2002 to October 2005 in a protected area of the Argentine Pampas grassland.Skunks frequently reused dens (25.1%), without significant differences between sexes. AlthoughMolina?s hog-nosed skunks are solitary animals, our data indicate that males and females may beable to share dens, presumably in the breeding season. Den sites were not homogeneouslydistributed within an animal?s home range, being the density in core areas greater than in middleand border regions of home ranges. This study confirmed that C. chinga selects specific habitatcharacteristics for its den sites and suggests that the access to prey is a major factor in theirselection.