As some of you might know, I have a camera set-up that records animal visitors to my front yard fountain. Living back east in New York for most of my life, I have only come across one species of skunk, the striped skunk, the only skunk that resides there. Here in Arizona there are four distinct species, three of which are regular visitors to my fountain.The hog-nosed, the striped skunk, and the hooded skunk.   The fourth, the spotted skunk I have yet to have the “pleasure” of acquaintance. Skunks are known for their powerful noxious scent, which when expelled from glands on either side of their anus, will send any presumed predator heading off in the opposite direction, and fast.The chemical is called N-butlymercaptan, a pungent mixture of sulfurous compounds. With a range of over 15 feet, the skunks accuracy is astoundingly good. I have to assume that skunks resist the temptation to spray unless they feel acutely threatened, because I have recorded images of fox and skunk in close proximity to their watering hole as seen here:

Striped skunk drinks as a grey fox keeps his distance.

November has been a busy month for these little stinkers. Below are five different individuals that are relatively frequent visitors.You’ll notice that even between the same species, there are coloration and pattern differences.

A striped skunk after a drink at the fountain.

A hooded skunk approaches the fountain.

With an overall white back and tail this hog-nosed skunk is a frequent visitor to my little slice of the Sonora Desert.

After taking a long drink, this hooded skunk with a foot long tail, makes an exit.

Here is a hooded skunk with an almost totally black body. Again an almost foot long tail identifies this species.