Real Skunk, Doing a Real Handstand
Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021.
I guess if you had asked me, I would’ve said non-primate mammals couldn’t do handstands? But thanks to the Department of the Interior’s wonderful Vine account, now I know they can:
It’s a counter-aggression stance, as this BBC video explains in detail. And if that move doesn’t deter the threat? “The spotted skunk will drop back onto all fours, curve its body so that both front and back ends face the interloper, and deliver a blast of skunk musk up to 16 feet away.”