First records and possible range extension of the American Hog-nosed Skunk into Grand Canyon National Park, U.S.A.

Abstract

Current knowledge of the geographic distribution of the American or White-backed Hog-nosed Skunk Conepatus leuconotus suggests contractions in the northernmost reaches of its range. Recently, American Hog-nosed Skunk was documented along the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) for the first time, extending the north-western geographic range of this species. We employed a camera-trap study to determine the extent to which American Hog-nosed Skunks may be distributed along the Colorado River through GCNP and found American Hog-nosed Skunks distributed across a 55-river mile reach along the canyon bottom, including both sides of the river. This constitutes the first time this species has been documented west and north of the Colorado River. Progressive increases in shoreline vegetation since the completion of the Glen Canyon Dam in 1963 has potentially amplified terrestrial invertebrate biomass and prey availability and encouraged American Hog-nosed Skunks to establish along the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.