South Dakota mammals

Plains Spotted Skunk in South Dakota

Spilogale interrupta

Native to South Dakota S3 Vulnerable in South Dakota

Not listed as nonindigenous in South Dakota by USGS NAS; native to its South Dakota range.

IUCN Red List status

NE – Not Evaluated

Not yet assessed against IUCN Red List criteria.

Plains spotted skunk walking through rocky leaf litter in TexasPlains spotted skunk climbing a tree trunk in South DakotaPlains spotted skunk moving through dense green cover near a fencePlains spotted skunk with tail raised in dense roadside vegetation
Photo: EJ Burns · CC BY 4.0Plains spotted skunk walking through rocky leaf litter in TexasPhoto: kara_white · CC BY 4.0Plains spotted skunk climbing a tree trunk in South DakotaPhoto: Juan Cruzado Cortés · CC BY 4.0Plains spotted skunk moving through dense green cover near a fencePhoto: Juan Cruzado Cortés · CC BY 4.0Plains spotted skunk with tail raised in dense roadside vegetation

Plains Spotted Skunk in South Dakota, by the numbers

Occasional in South Dakota 60th most recorded of 100 mammals logged in South Dakota

23 occurrence records

Records from 2000–2026.

23 total records count every South Dakota occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 22; the monthly chart covers the 22 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Plains Spotted Skunk in South Dakota

Most sightings fall in March to April.

22 South Dakota occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly South Dakota records (table)
MonthRecords
January3
February0
March4
April6
May1
June1
July1
August3
September0
October0
November2
December1

Monthly plains spotted skunk occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in South Dakota, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in South Dakota, with recorded sightings peaking in March–April.

Occurrence map

Where Plains Spotted Skunk has been recorded in South Dakota

22 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

22 South Dakota records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Hartford Beach 1

Protected places with the most plains spotted skunk sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in South Dakota

CountyRecords
Brule County 6
Faulk County 4
Edmunds County 3
Hand County 2
Beadle County 2
Gregory County 1
Hamlin County 1
Roberts County 1
Tripp County 1
Clay County 1
Other localities 1

The complete county distribution, spread across 10 South Dakota counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Plains spotted skunks carry a NatureServe S3 vulnerable rank in South Dakota that matches the species’ G3 global rank, reflecting a mustelid that’s declined sharply across much of its range since the mid-20th century for reasons that remain only partly understood. The record leans toward GBIF (23) over iNaturalist (12), suggesting trapping and survey data document this small, secretive skunk more consistently than casual sightings.

Records show matched peaks in March and April (4 sightings each), together a third of the year’s total, with a complete gap in September and October; a dataset this thin can’t establish a firm seasonal pattern, but the spring cluster plausibly tracks increased movement during the breeding season.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Plains Spotted Skunk in other states

Plains spotted skunk walking through rocky leaf litter in Texas
Full species profile Plains Spotted Skunk Spilogale interrupta Size 35–55 cm13.8–21.7 in Weight 583 g1.3 lb Lifespan 10 yr View the full profile

More mammals in South Dakota in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"