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How does breeding in the western spotted skunk differ from breeding in other skunks?

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

While most skunk species breed in the spring, the western spotted skunk (S. gracilis) differs by breeding in the autumn. Following this autumn mating, the western spotted skunk undergoes a period of delayed implantation that lasts approximately 150 days.1