Funny - the camera took a dozen photos of him in all, and 1/2 way through he decides he needs to show it who's the boss. Here's the best four pics...
Mr. Spot sniffs in from stage left - if you look close, you can see he is indeed a mister
Like a secret agent - sleek, smooth, debonair, dressed-to-impress...
...and always ready for action - bang! Those small spots are flecks of le pew
This photo is 32 seconds later - did he hold the handstand the whole time?
Obviously, El Quick Draw didn't chew the tree. He's looking for mice & beetles. And a fight.
But, our 4th visitor is a known gnawer. Perhaps it has a taste for pinyon.
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References:
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - Spilogale gracilis
- Wikipedia - Spotted Skunk
- Nature of a Man (this blog) - Who Chews?
- Nature of a Man (this blog) - Who Chews? II
- Nature of a Man (this blog) - posts on cam trapping the Mono Basin
9 Comments - thoughts - questions:
Such a tease...but you have such lovely pictures I am not complaining.
lordy, he's agile!
So what is the secret for getting Le Pew off of a camera?
That last photo is just priceless! Awesome photo series and blog, I love it.
That is an awsome photo! Great handstand shot.
What in the world? I thought skunks were striped, not spotted. I stand corrected though, after a cursory search on the web, as apparently there's both an Eastern and a Western species of Spotted Skunk. Awesome shots!
I said it at Chim, and I'll say it again -- just great shots! Gotta love Mr Quick-on-the-draw.
He's doing a warning display toward the camera, right (as if the perceived threat is coming from it)? I've never seen a spotted skunk, but if a striped skunk encounters potential trouble, it faces away from the threat so it can prepare to spray.
He is a charismatic one, huh?
Yes, camissonia - now that you have a cam trap, you're going to have to learn about all the uncommon and seldom seen mammals of CA. :)
John Wall - you are correct, he's doing a warning display (while also trying to look bigger). But, it doesn't limit his ability to spray - spotted skunks seem to be able to quickly curl their back and flick/spray over the top of their heads.
It's interesting to think about what caused him to handstand. If the cam is flashing and shuttering with him in that position, then it can't have been the flash that triggered the display. The sound of the camera? Its silhouette? The photo just before the handstand was taken 23 seconds earlier, so the cam was already on. Hmmmmm...
And Bay Laurel - le pew comes off with time and Windex. Fox urine, on the other hand, is much stickier.
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