Biological knowledge of South American hog-nosed skunks Conepatus remains scarce. Although common in several regions, even basic life-history aspects are poorly known, and important issues of taxonomy and biogeography are yet to be resolved. A better un- derstanding of these species’ evolutionary history, biology and ecology would provide a solid basis for conservation planning. Here we provide an overview of current research efforts targeting these issues in Molina’s Hog-nosed Skunk Conepatus chinga and Striped Hog- nosed Skunk C. semistriatus. Preliminary data corroborating these species’ evolutionary distinctiveness, and concerning distribution, habitat use, food habits, spatial ecology, life history, and reproductive biology are provided. We hope that these will serve as a basis for in-depth studies targeting these species and the role they play in Neotropical carnivore communities.