Although still present across much of its historical range in the eastern US, the species is considered rare, threatened, endangered, or of conservation concern by many states. In the 1940s and 1950s, the eastern spotted skunk ( Spilogale putorius) experienced range-wide population declines, from which it has yet to recover ( Gompper and Hackett 2005). Spotted skunks ( Spilogale spp.) are small, omnivorous mesocarnivores from the Mephitidae family that range broadly across North America. Given concerns over population declines of spotted skunks as well as observations of increasing damage over the past century, there is a need for further research on the impacts of cranial worm infection on individual-scale behavior, reproduction and survival, and on population-scale demographics. There was a negative association between prior year and prevalence, but the severity of damage increased over time for all clades. We suggest the positive association with precipitation is a result of local availability of gastropods, the intermediate host for skunk cranial worm.

Our top models indicated that host genetic clade, precipitation in the year prior to specimen collection, and the year prior to specimen collection best predicted prevalence and severity of skunk cranial worm. We expected precipitation, but not sex to influence infection and severity. We hypothesized that the midwestern genetic clade (plains spotted skunk, Spilogale putorius interrupta), which experienced a range-wide population decline in the mid-1900s, would experience the highest infection and severity rates. We assessed effects of host genetic clade, collection year, precipitation, and sex on prevalence and severity rates. Specimens were collected between 18 from across the US. We visited six mammal collections between 20 and used 578 spotted skunk skull specimens to identify patterns in prevalence and severity of skunk cranial worm damage in spotted skunks. Skunk cranial worm can cause severe damage to the skull of spotted skunks, and this damage is identifiable in preserved specimens.

Eastern and western spotted skunks ( Spilogale putorius and Spilogale gracilis) serve as definitive hosts for skunk cranial worm ( Skrjabingylus chitwoodorum), a metastrongylid nematode that spends its adult stage inhabiting the frontal sinuses of the host cranium.

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