Striped Skunk

The striped skunk is a medium-sized mammal native to North America, best known for the pair of scent glands near its tail that can spray a strong-smelling, irritating musk as a defense against predators, a behavior it typically signals first with foot-stamping, tail-raising and hissing before spraying as a last resort. It has a black coat marked with a broad white stripe or stripes running down its back and tail, a pattern that serves as a warning to other animals. Striped skunks are mostly nocturnal omnivores, feeding on insects, small animals, eggs, fruit and human food refuse, and they are common and highly adaptable, found in forests, grasslands, farmland and suburban areas across much of North America.