The striped skunk is the most common of the thirteen species of skunks found throughout North, Central, and South
America. Skunks are known primarily for their ability to spray a foul-smelling liquid when provoked. Spraying ability
develops very quickly after birth, usually by the age of one month. Although skunks can spray their victims at a
maximum range of 4 to 7 m (13 to 23 ft), they are most accurate at distances of 1 to 2 m (3 to 6 ft).
Mike Kraetsch/Oxford Scientific FilmsLibrary of Natural Sounds, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. All rights reserved.
