Spotted skunks, which are known as the “acrobats,” of the skunk species use a handstand to protect themselves from suspected predators.
We’ve all heard of skunks, but did you know there’s a species of skunk that can do a handstand?
Spotted skunks, which are known as the “acrobats,” of the skunk species use a handstand to protect themselves from suspected predators.
"When they're stressed, they bounce up onto their forelimbs and then kick out their hind limbs, puff their tail up, and they actually can walk towards the predator, like basically making them look bigger and scarier," Adam Ferguson, the Negaunee Collections Manager of Mammals at the Field Museum in Chicago, told CNN.
After the handstand, they return to their normal stance and release their typical foul smell.
Also unlike typical skunks, spotted skunks are more carnivorous.
They eat bird eggs, lizards, snakes and rodents.
According to a new study published in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, there are seven different spotted skunk species.
