stamp

[opabinia]

Skunks are kind enough to stamp their feet before deploying their terrible chemical weapon. This wonderful warning behavior prevented a disaster last night. Centella heard some rustling, inquisitively poked her head into a shrub, and then

*stamp*
*stamp*

*STAMP*

The dog retreated hastily, hid behind the barbecue, and scoffed. I remembered something about cornered wildlife and warning gestures. Raccoons don't do that... Bunnies might, but only when they're really stuck, and I think they're diurnal anyway... Possums? No... I squatted down and peered under the bushes -- from a good distance -- and saw nothing... nothing... nope... and then A BIG WHITE STRIPE DOWN AN ANGRY LITTLE BLACK BODY

*STAMP*

I grabbed the dog by the collar, pulled her into the house (it didn't take much effort, once she detected the urgency), and told her she could pee later.

Man, that was close.

Comments

[developer.livejournal.com]

I wonder if they are nesting back there.

[lepidosiren.livejournal.com]

Nah. Too many moose.

[developer.livejournal.com]

Well they are somewhere in the neighborhood?

[lepidosiren.livejournal.com]

Definitely. I'm just implying that our yard had grown wild enough to support megafauna. (My weedwhacking may have upset the delicate ecologic balance, though.)

[fudjo.livejournal.com]

Skunks easily have my most favorite natural defense of any animal out there: "I AM A FUCKING SKUNK!"

The extent to which they make themselves as obvious as possible is just amazing. There's the staggeringly obvious and noxious smell. There's the "I CAN BE NOTHING BUT A SKUNK" coloration and markings. There's the hissing There's the foot-stamping. There's the tail-raising. The spotted skunk even does a a freakin' handstand to let you know, moron, that it's a fucking skunk and the hot, sticky, stinky liquid is now, in fact, coming for your face, because you were that ragingly stupid.

From wikipedia: "...the great horned owl, the animal's only serious predator, which, like most birds, has a poor-to-nonexistent sense of smell..."

Just awesome.

[lepidosiren.livejournal.com]

I AM A FUCKING SKUNK!

lol

"Do you know who you are fucking with?!"

[fudjo.livejournal.com]

You can just see the look of derision on their faces when they're about to open fire. "Can you believe this shit?"

[panzerkunst.livejournal.com]

"I can't believe that you just STOOD there!"

I had to free a skunk from a squirrel trap once. Luckily it didn't spray me in the process.