Short-distance dispersal and lack of genetic structure in an urban striped skunk population

摘要: Striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) act as reservoirs of many zoonotic diseases and are highly adept at persisting in urbanized landscapes high densities. A better understanding the interaction between urban environment can aid development management approaches to disease outbreaks, well provide information on wildlife responses urbanization-induced habitat fragmentation. We studied genetic structure a population striped an environment, assessing presence subpopulation structuring, sex-biased philopatry, natal habitat—biased dispersal. Analysis microsatellite data failed detect any significant clustering or evidence dispersal, but spatial autocorrelation analyses did reveal patterns limited dispersal (< 2 km) suggest female-biased philopatry. Our results that habitats few barriers gene flow skunks.