#shiprock

Karol Nienartowicz

Let’s head to the Museum’s Hall of North American Mammals to take a peek at today’s Exhibit of the Day: the Spotted Skunk and Ringtail Diorama. This scene takes place in Shiprock, New Mexico, and features a spotted skunk doing a handstand. What for? It’s a warning to discourage the two curious ringtails from getting any closer. If this pose doesn’t work, the skunk will release jets of foul-smelling musk from glands under its tail. But ringtails also combine chemistry with defensive body language. Here, one ringtail has made its tail fur stand upright, creating the illusion of larger size. If the standoff escalates, the ringtail might curve its tail over its head, and—as a last resort—emit its own smelly secretion.