We observed this Striped Skunk foraging near the base of the Lewisville Lake dam. He had his head down in the tall grass and was busy looking for food.

Almost on a whim we decided to stop for a few pictures. We hoped that he would lift his head up out of the grass long enough for us to take a nice portrait. No luck. Instead it was his tail that lifted into the air!

When faced with the business end of a skunk like this, leaving will often become high on your priority list. So we did!

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about the Striped Skunk:

The striped skunk has a black body with a white stripe along each side of its body; the two stripes join into a broader white area at the nape. Its forehead has a narrow white stripe. Similar in size to a domestic cat, this species is the heaviest species of skunk, though it is not as long (in body or tail length) as the American hog-nosed skunk. Adults can weigh from 2.5 to 15 lb (1.1 to 6.8 kg), although the average weight is 6–8 lb (2.7–3.6 kg). The animal’s length (excluding the tail) is 13 to 18 in (33 to 46 cm). Males tend to be around 10% larger than females. The bushy tail is 7 to 10 in (18 to 25 cm), and sometimes has a white tip. The presence of a striped skunk is often first made apparent by its odor. It has well-developed anal scent glands (characteristic of all skunks) that can emit a highly unpleasant odor when the skunk feels threatened.

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