In Central America this species occurs along the edges and in gaps of evergreen forests and seem to be adaptable to some level of human disturbance (agroforestry, forest edge, grasslands, plantations, etc.). Habitat selection in the llanos by C. semistriatus depends on the season. During the dry season, the habitat used is most diverse and includes grasslands, deciduous forests, shrub woodlands, and open areas, with a majority of the time spent in deciduous forests and shrub woodlands. During the wet season, habitat use is more selective and tends to be restricted to areas of higher elevations, mainly in deciduous forests (Sunquist et al. 1989). The diet is varied, but mainly concentrated on insects, lizards, and birds. Home range varies with the season probably is a response to greater food availability, and therefore a reduced need to travel to get enough to eat (Medellin et al. 1992).

Conepatus semistriatus is a Neotropical species and has a disjunct distribution within Mesoamerica, the northern Andes and eastern Brazil. Its range begins in southern Mexico and continues south into northern Peru along the western Andes and east across northern Venezuela and into the llanos of Colombia, with an isolated populations in eastern Brazil (Nowak 2005).

It is considered necessary to include species of Conepatus in CITES Appendix II in order to obtain data on the trade in the different species, to estimate the exploitation level, to enforce a better control of the exports, and to avoid that one of the species exported under the name of any of the other species (IUCN/SSC Mustelid, Viverrid and Procyonid Specialist Group 1992).