Jerry Dragoo with a striped skunk Photo: James Donald / © WNET.ORG

Striped skunks, Mephitis mephitis: Striped skunks are one of the most abundant and recognizable mammals in North America. They can be found in Canada, throughout the United States, and into northern Mexico. Part of what has made striped skunks such a successful species is their ability to eat almost anything—insects, small mammals and birds, vegetables, fruits, eggs, crustaceans, grasses, and carrion. They will even raid human garbage. Striped skunks are both solitary and nocturnal. Their characteristic fur pattern is a white strip that starts at the forehead and splits into a V shape as it travels down the skunk’s back. Skunks are born hairless, but their stripes are visible from birth. The length and width of stripes varies with each individual. There are also some skunks that are completely black or completely white.

Hooded skunks, Mephitis macroura: Placed in the same genus as the striped skunk, Mephitis, hooded skunks are similar in appearance to striped skunks, but have longer and softer fur, especially around the neck. They also have a longer tail. Like the striped skunk, hooded skunks will stomp with both of their front feet as a warning before spraying. There are three distinct color patterns in the hooded skunk. Some hooded skunks have a single, solid white stripe running down their back from their forehead to the tip of their tail, some have two thin white stripes running down the side of the body from shoulder to stomach, and some have a combination of these two patterns.

Spotted skunks will perform a front handstand when threatened. Image © WNET.ORG

Spotted skunks, Spilogale: Spotted skunks are the smallest members of the family. They are also more slender and have shorter fur. All skunks are good rodent hunters, but spotted skunks are especially good at capturing rats and mice. Spotted skunks are faster than other skunks, and because they are smaller, they can get into small holes and tunnels where rodents may hide. They are also the only skunks that can climb trees. When threatened, spotted skunks do a front handstand, which makes them appear much larger. The “spots” on their back are not actually spots, but a series of interrupted white lines.

Hog-nosed skunks, Conepatus: The elongated snout of the hog-nosed skunk is used to extract bugs and grubs from the ground. Hog-nosed skunks are excellent diggers, and they have long, specialized claws and impressive upper body strength. Their powerful forearms can be used to dig dens and climb up rocky slopes. Hog-nosed skunks can be found in the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America.

Stink badgers, Mydaus: The two species of stink badger are the only members of the Mephitidae family not native to North or South America. The Philippine stink badger can only be found on the islands of Palawan and Busuanga, and the Indonesian stink badger can be found on Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and North Natuna Islands. Like members of the skunk family, stink badgers have short, muscular limbs, elongated claws, a stocky body, and scent spraying anal glands. The most marked difference between stink badgers and skunks is the lack of a bushy tail. Stink badger tails are short and pointed. The Indonesian stink badger has extremely potent anal secretions that are green in color. Both species of stink badger resort to spraying as a second line of defense. Their first defense tactic is to feign death.

Intrepid avian creatures attain new heights in NATURE’s Extraordinary Birds.

The gift of flight would seem reason enough for humanity’s fascination with birds. But there’s even more to it than that. Birds are remarkable for a wide range of exceptional physical abilities, for their indications of intelligence, and — for some species — their surprising level of rapport with humans.

In the small Indian village of Kundha Kulam, for example, birds’ arrival are a sign to the townspeople that rain will follow and that their crops would soon thrive. While falconry — the art of training hawks, falcons and other birds of prey to hunt — exemplifies the partnership men and birds can develop.

Humans have also relied on the more prosaic pigeon. Although city dwellers may dismiss them as flying rats, no bird can top the pigeon for courage and service to humankind. Since pigeons have the ability to find their way “home,” many were used in dangerous, top-secret missions in World War I and II, delivering important messages to Allied troops behind enemy lines.

Discover more amazing birds — from hummingbirds and peregrine falcons to parrots and barn owls — on NATURE’s Extraordinary Birds.

To order a copy of Extraordinary Birds, please visit the NATURE Shop.

Online content for Extraordinary Birds was orginally posted November 2000.