Conepatus leuconotus
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The American hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus leuconotus) is a species of hog-nosed skunk from Central and North America, and is one of the largest skunks in the world, growing to lengths of up to 2.7 feet (82 cm). Recent work has concluded the western hog-nosed skunk (formerly Conepatus mesoleucus) is the same species, and Conepatus leuconotus is the correct name of the merged populations.
In Texas, it is commonly known as the rooter skunk for its habit of rooting and overturning rocks and debris in search of food. The distinguishing feature of the American hog-nosed skunk is it has a single, broad white stripe from the top of the head to the base of the tail, with the tail itself being completely white. It is the only skunk that lacks a white dot or medial bar between the eyes and has primarily black body fur. The snout of C. leuconotus is relatively long, with a naked nose pad, and resembles the nose of a small hog. The nose pad (20 mm wide by 25 mm long) is about three times wider than that of Mephitis mephitis. The ears are small and rounded, and the eyes are relatively small. The fur is short and coarse.
The American hog-nosed skunk has stocky legs and plantigrade... Wikipedia →
Recording0:24
United States · 2025
© donna2112 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hog-nosed Skunk sighting in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 6 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Hog-nosed Skunk in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April, July–September and November–December, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Hog-nosed Skunk sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Common Hog-nosed Skunk sightings, Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Big Bend National Park (United States, about 10%) and Saguaro National Park (United States, under 5%).
Same order: Carnivora
The closest relatives of the Common Hog-nosed Skunk that you can see in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (order Carnivora, Carnivorans) are White-nosed Coati (about 40%) and Kinkajou (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Hog-nosed Skunk is recorded against all the mammals logged in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
