Oregon State University study sheds light on elusive western spotted skunk

Think Out Loud

Marie Tosa, a postdoctoral researcher in the department of botany and plant pathology at Oregon State University, spent two and a half years trapping and tracking the movements of western spotted skunks across thousands of acres in forests in the western Cascades, roughly 60 miles east of Eugene.

Little is known about the small, nocturnal carnivores which weigh between one and two pounds and burrow inside logs and hollows to avoid predators like bobcats and owls. Tosa’s field work unearthed new information about the behavior of these skunks, including a home range of up to 12 square miles they can cover while hunting for food. She also found that western spotted skunks may be vulnerable to extreme winters, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change, and the importance of old growth forests for their habitat. Tosa joins us to share more of her findings and remaining questions about their resilience to climate change.