It is hard to guess what a Eastern spotted skunk weights. But we have the answer:
An adult Eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) on average weights 568 grams (1.25 lbs).
The Eastern spotted skunk is from the family Mustelidae (genus: Spilogale). It is usually born with about 12 grams (0.03 lbs). They can live for up to 10 years. When reaching adult age, they grow up to 30 cm (1′ 0″). Usually, Eastern spotted skunks have 5 babies per litter.
As a reference: An average human weights in at 62 kg (137 lbs) and reaches an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). Humans spend 280 days (40 weeks) in the womb of their mother and reach around 75 years of age.
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:
- Humboldt’s hog-nosed skunk bringing 1.1 kilos (2.43 lbs) to the scale
- Nilgiri marten bringing 2.04 kilos (4.5 lbs) to the scale
- Back-striped weasel bringing 1.5 kilos (3.31 lbs) to the scale
- Marine otter bringing 11.2 kilos (24.69 lbs) to the scale
- Hairy-nosed otter bringing 5.97 kilos (13.16 lbs) to the scale
- Yellow-bellied weasel with a weight of 264 grams
- Molina’s hog-nosed skunk with a weight of 960 grams
- Malayan weasel with a weight of 569 grams
- Asian small-clawed otter bringing 3.53 kilos (7.78 lbs) to the scale
- European pine marten bringing 1.3 kilos (2.87 lbs) to the scale
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:
- Numbat bringing 517 grams to the scale
- Eastern gray squirrel bringing 546 grams to the scale
- Giant white-tailed rat bringing 644 grams to the scale
- Greater guinea pig bringing 460 grams to the scale
- Painted tree-rat bringing 519 grams to the scale
- New Guinea waterside rat bringing 526 grams to the scale
- Ring-tailed ground squirrel bringing 500 grams to the scale
- Sunda flying fox bringing 466 grams to the scale
- Black flying fox bringing 609 grams to the scale
- Rakali bringing 626 grams to the scale
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:
- Basilan flying squirrel with a size of 24.8 cm (0′ 10″)
- Black and red bush squirrel with a size of 24.3 cm (0′ 10″)
- Narrow-striped mongoose with a size of 31.2 cm (1′ 1″)
- African striped weasel with a size of 30.4 cm (1′ 0″)
- Mountain weasel with a size of 24.4 cm (0′ 10″)
- Large Luzon forest rat with a size of 24 cm (0′ 10″)
- Bagobo rat with a size of 28.9 cm (1′ 0″)
- Golden lion tamarin with a size of 26.1 cm (0′ 11″)
- Red-bellied titi with a size of 35.8 cm (1′ 3″)
- Brazilian three-banded armadillo with a size of 30 cm (1′ 0″)
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:
- Variegated squirrel
- Dark bolo mouse
- Little Indian field mouse
- Water vole (North America)
- Dusky field rat
- Caucasian snow vole
- Common degu
- Fringe-tailed gerbil
- Zarudny’s rock shrew
- Meadow vole
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Eastern spotted skunk
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Eastern spotted skunk:
- Capybara with an average maximal age of 12 years
- Southern tree hyrax with an average maximal age of 10 years
- Red-legged sun squirrel with an average maximal age of 8.83 years
- Spectral tarsier with an average maximal age of 12 years
- White-footed sportive lemur with an average maximal age of 8.58 years
- Ord’s kangaroo rat with an average maximal age of 9.75 years
- Jaguarundi with an average maximal age of 10.58 years
- Red acouchi with an average maximal age of 10 years
- White-tailed jackrabbit with an average maximal age of 8 years
- Weasel sportive lemur with an average maximal age of 12 years