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How do spotted skunks get their name?

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Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) — skunk Striped skunk (*Mephitis mephitis*).

Spotted skunks (genus Spilogale) get their name from the markings on their bodies. While they possess a white spot between their eyes, the "spots" along their back and sides are actually a series of interrupted stripes. The genus name Spilogale further reflects this appearance, derived from the Greek words spilos, meaning "spot," and galē, meaning "weasel".12