''Buisnictis'' is an extinct genus of

skunk Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginge ...

from Pliocene North America, ranging all the way from Washington to Baja California. There are currently four accepted species: ''Buisnictis breviramus'', ''Buisnictis schoffi'', ''Buisnictis burrowsi'' and ''Buisnictis metabatos''.

Phylogeny

As of Wang, Whistler and Takeuchi, 2005, ''Buisnictis'' was recovered as a more derived skunk, while in 2014 Wang, Carranza-Castañeda and Aranda Gómez suggested ''Buisnictis'', specifically ''B. metabatos'', may have been the ancestor of the crown pleistocene skunks.

References

{{paleo-carnivora-stub Skunks Prehistoric caniforms Extinct animals of the United States Fossil taxa described in 1950 Prehistoric carnivoran genera