Practiced for hours and feeling proud of your handstands? Spotted skunk will put you utterly to shame with its elaborate dance warning any who dare approach that it’s locked, loaded, and ready to spray.
The skunks can store about 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of a noxious oil at a time, and are capable of releasing five quick sprays in rapid succession to put off aggressors. The oil is composed of a mix of thiols: (E)-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-methyl-1-butanethiol, and 2-phenylethanethiol. Once depleted, it takes about a week to resupply on their defensive stench.
Spotted skunks are polite enough to give warning before they spray a noxious liquid on aggressors: they stamp their front feet, raise their tail, hiss, and if they’re particularly annoyed, perform this unusual hand-stand dance.
Spotted skunk ready to spray. Image credit: AnimalPhotos
If the aggressor doesn’t back off, they drop back to all four paws and bend their bodies around to point their tail at the offender. They then release an atomized spray of a stinky oil through nipples located on either side of their anus. Muscles around the glands give them good aim up to 4.5 meters away, so take their warning seriously!