In his "Revision of the skunks of the genus Spilogale" (N. Amer. Fauna, 26, November 24, 1906) A. H. Howell identified certain specimens in the United States National Museum as follows:
Spilogale leucoparia, ♂ sad. 55585 from Tulancingo, Hidalgo (op. cit.:21).
Spilogale gracilis, ♂ sad. 88154 from San Sebastian in Jalisco, ♂ ad. 79017 from Lagos in Jalisco, ♂ ad. 47177 from Pátzcuaro in Michoacán (op. cit.:23).
Spilogale ambigua, ♂ ad. 35667/20437 from Barranca Ibarra in Jalisco, ♂ yg. 120101 from Ocotlán in Jalisco (op. cit.:25).
Hall and Villa (Univ. Kansas Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist, 1:448, December 27, 1949) inferred that No. 47177 from Pátzcuaro was instead referable to Spilogale angustifrons angustifrons. Our examination of No. 47177 and of each of the other specimens mentioned by catalogue number immediately above leads us to conclude that they all are of one species, and that, among named kinds of Spilogale, they should be referred to the subspecies Spilogale angustifrons angustifrons Howell.
Our examination of all of the specimens that Howell (op. cit.) identified as Spilogale [angustifrons] angustifrons reveals that none of the specimens from the type locality had attained full adult stature; the holotype is a subadult and the other specimens from the type locality are even younger. The small size of these specimens from the type locality seems to have misled Howell into thinking that they were taxonomically distinct from the larger specimens—those from Jalisco, Michoacán and Hidalgo—that he identified as other kinds.
Spilogale gracilis gracilis Merriam
In the genus Spilogale four specific names, concerning the status of which we have been uncertain, are listed below in the order of their appearance in the literature.
1890. Spilogale gracilis Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 3:83, September 11, type from bottom of canyon, Grand Canyon, Arizona.
1890. Spilogale leucoparia Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 4:11, October 8, type from Mason, Mason County, Texas.