The Striped Skunk is the most common skunk in North America, yet most of what we know about it comes from studies of captive individuals. Like all skunks, it has a superb defense system, the ability to spray a foul-smelling fluid from two glands near the base of its tail. Learn more about the Mephitis mephitis, more commonly known as a Striped Skunk, in this easy-to-read species overview by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.