Your Mind Will Be Blown When You See What Animal This Actually Is

If it takes you a little while to understand what's going on in this video, you're not the only one.

For most New Yorkers, watching a nature documentary can be as easy as walking through their neighborhood. Black bears, foxes, and even the elusive fisher can all be seen in our state. Just outside of New York, however, lives a relative to one of our more common animals. To say this species does things a little differently, however, might be the understatement of the year.

Baffling Animal Caught on Camera

"You might be asking yourself, 'What am I looking at?' [and] that’s fair", began a recent post from the National Parks Service. At first glance, the creature caught on the black-and-white video (below) looks like a cross between a feather duster and a voodoo doll. The first trick to understanding exactly what you're looking at is knowing that this animal is actually upside down.

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The Spotted Skunk

Meet the spotted skunk. Unlike New York's striped skunk, this rodent has a very special way of trying to intimidate potential threats. First, it will stomp its feet and hiss, then, if the threat still remains, this fuzzy acrobat will decide to invert itself, standing on its front feet and raising their rear feet in the fashion of a handstand.

Spotted Skunk vs. Striped Skunk

All of these intimidation techniques are really just a warmup for the main act, spraying. Just like the striped skunk (above, right), the spotted skunk has the potential to release the classic skunk spray to startle even the most devoted predators.

Spotted Skunk Habitat

While this video was taken in Arizona, the eastern spotted skunk can live as close as Delaware. The map (above) shows the impressively large habitat of what should now be your favorite animal. If you're dreaming of bringing one to New York, check out some other (and more legal) options for exotic pets below.