How big does a Eastern spotted skunk get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown Eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) reaches an average size of 30 cm (1′ 0″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). During their lifetime of about 10 years, they grow from 12 grams (0.03 lbs) to 568 grams (1.25 lbs). A Eastern spotted skunk has 5 babies at once. The Eastern spotted skunk (genus: Spilogale) is a member of the family Mustelidae.
As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.
The eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) is a small, relatively slender skunk found in North America, throughout the eastern United States and in small areas of Canada and Mexico.This small skunk is more weasel-like in body shape than the more familiar striped skunk. The eastern spotted skunk has four stripes on its back which are broken in pattern, giving it a “spotted” appearance. They have a white spot on their forehead. They are found in Canada (southeast Manitoba and northwestern Ontario), the United States and northeastern Mexico. Males, at 46.3–68.8 cm (18.2–27.1 in) in total length, are large than females, at 35–54.4 cm (13.8–21.4 in). The tail accounts for roughly a third of their total length. Body mass can range from 0.2 to 1.8 kg (0.44 to 3.97 lb), with males averaging around 700 g (1.5 lb) against the female’s average of 450 g (0.99 lb). Skull length is 43–55 mm (1.7–2.2 in). The eastern spotted skunk is a very small skunk, which (for comparison sake) is no larger than a good-sized tree squirrel.They are much more active than any other type of skunk. They have mostly the same predators as any other skunk (big cats, bobcats, owls, humans, etc.). Up to eight skunks may share an underground den in the winter. They can also climb and take shelter in trees.Eastern spotted skunks seem to prefer forest edges and upland prairie grasslands, especially where rock outcrops and shrub clumps are present. In western counties, it relies heavily on riparian corridors where woody shrubs and woodland edges are present. Woody fencerows, odd areas, and abandoned farm buildings are also important habitat for eastern spotted skunks.
Animals of the same family as a Eastern spotted skunk
We found other animals of the Mustelidae family:
- Pygmy spotted skunk with 4 babies per litter
- Striped polecat with a size of 33.5 cm (1′ 2″)
- Fisher (animal) with a size of 75.1 cm (2′ 6″)
- Neotropical otter with a size of 60.2 cm (2′ 0″)
- American hog-nosed skunk with a size of 42.2 cm (1′ 5″)
- African clawless otter with a size of 80.9 cm (2′ 8″)
- Burmese ferret-badger with a size of 39.9 cm (1′ 4″)
- Indonesian mountain weasel with a size of 30.9 cm (1′ 1″)
- Molina’s hog-nosed skunk with a size of 21.1 cm (0′ 9″)
- North American river otter with a size of 68.5 cm (2′ 3″)
Animals with the same size as a Eastern spotted skunk
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Eastern spotted skunk:
- Rakali with a size of 27.5 cm (0′ 11″)
- Utah prairie dog with a size of 28.8 cm (1′ 0″)
- Epixerus with a size of 28.8 cm (1′ 0″)
- Baja California rock squirrel with a size of 24.5 cm (0′ 10″)
- Malagasy giant rat with a size of 30.6 cm (1′ 1″)
- Columbian ground squirrel with a size of 29.6 cm (1′ 0″)
- Northern brown bandicoot with a size of 35.4 cm (1′ 2″)
- Potto with a size of 32 cm (1′ 1″)
- Cape gray mongoose with a size of 35 cm (1′ 2″)
- Chinese red pika with a size of 24.5 cm (0′ 10″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Eastern spotted skunk
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (5) as a Eastern spotted skunk:
- Social vole
- Coypu
- Caucasian snow vole
- Tiger quoll
- Edible dormouse
- Siberian chipmunk
- Yellow ground squirrel
- Olive-backed pocket mouse
- Corsac fox
- Alpine shrew
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Eastern spotted skunk
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Eastern spotted skunk:
- Saiga antelope with an average maximal age of 12 years
- Congo rope squirrel with an average maximal age of 9.5 years
- Red-flanked duiker with an average maximal age of 9.5 years
- Parti-coloured bat with an average maximal age of 12 years
- Greater fairy armadillo with an average maximal age of 12 years
- Short-eared dog with an average maximal age of 11 years
- Blue duiker with an average maximal age of 12 years
- Banded palm civet with an average maximal age of 12 years
- Chacoan peccary with an average maximal age of 9 years
- Lesser long-nosed bat with an average maximal age of 10 years
Animals with the same weight as a Eastern spotted skunk
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Spilogale putorius:
- Ashy-headed flying fox bringing 524 grams to the scale
- Giant Atlantic tree-rat bringing 502 grams to the scale
- Short-tailed chinchilla bringing 499 grams to the scale
- Slender mongoose bringing 530 grams to the scale
- Musky rat-kangaroo bringing 535 grams to the scale
- Golden-headed lion tamarin bringing 573 grams to the scale
- Painted tree-rat bringing 519 grams to the scale
- New Guinea waterside rat bringing 526 grams to the scale
- Abert’s squirrel bringing 623 grams to the scale
- Mauritian flying fox bringing 473 grams to the scale