The striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) is a medium sized skunk with a robust body whose black fur is divided, laterally, by a white stripe that extends from the proximal neck to the tip of its bushy tail. The genus Mephitis (literally “stench”) is a member of the family Mephitidae, which consists entirely of animals that have the unique ability to spray musk from specialized anal scent glands for defensive purposes. By contrast, civit cats of various species throughout the world possess anal musk glands that are used to mark territories, but are not used as a means of defense. [...]