News for Your Nose: Skunks Arrive at National Zoo

Smithsonian’s National Zoo has added two new animals to its already diverse family of elephants, giant pandas, and apes.

Meet Trixie and Clementine! The striped skunk sisters made their first public appearance in the Small Mammal House on Tuesday.

The skunks’ coloration patterns make telling them apart more simple. While Clementine has an all black tail and white stripe on her nose, Trixie displays a black and white tail along with a black dot in the white stripe on her nose.

The duo came from a breeding facility in Pennsylvania. Both skunks had their scent glands removed so that they would not be as smelly, however, they still produce an odor.

A few not so furry friends were added to the zoological family as well.

Estimated to be about 10-years-old, two North American porcupines named Quillby and Maude joined the group. With an average weight of 20 to 30 pounds, porcupines can have up to 30,000 quills each.

The pair was joined by another porcupine named Bess. She is a prehensile-tailed porcupine that was transferred from a zoo in Miami.

The new exhibits are open to the public.

For more information visit the Smithsonian’s National Zoo website, Facebook, or Twitter.

Photo Credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo Facebook