Today,we’ll be talking about the skunk, a mammal that is mostly found in the WesternHemisphere. 

First,skunks are mainly black and white creatures, and are usually the size of ahouse cat, though some can be smaller. The patterns on their coats vary amongspecies. For example, the common striped skunk is black with a white v shaperunning down its back. The spotted skunk, however, is black with a white spotbetween its eyes, and small stripes running down its back and sides. 

Skunksare known for the strong smell they let out when they feel threatened. Theyhave this ability because of scent glands located at the base of their tail,like all carnivores do. However, these glands are extremely developed inskunks. The strong smell can be emitted as a cloud, or can be a stream directedat an object. The stream that a skunk will direct at something can besurprisingly accurate. 

Skunkshave a diverse diet that also changes among species. Spotted skunks are themost carnivorous of skunk species, meaning they eat a lot of meat. Hog-nosedskunks eat grubs and other insects they find in the soil. Striped skunks areomnivorous, and can eat insects, small vertebrates, eggs, and plants.