Scientists identify seven species of spotted skunks, and they all do handstands before they spray

[Still Waters]

Spotted skunks are tiny acrobats. Weighing in at less than two pounds, they plant their front paws firmly on the ground, throw their hind legs into the air and let their tail splay out like garland on a Christmas tree, balancing in a handstand as a final warning before they spray.

It’s an exaggerated version of a defense mechanism they share with their much larger striped cousins, and one that makes them tricky to catch and, as a result, to study.

And not being able to catch them has created a problem. Without a wide range of specimens to study, scientists haven’t been able to conduct genetic analysis to determine how many species exist. Over the years, researchers have thought as many as 14 and as few as two existed. Most recently, they agreed there were four.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/seven-species-exist-skunk-does-hand-stand-it-sprays-180978554/