How do hog-nosed skunks warn an approaching threat?

When a hog-nosed skunk perceives an approaching threat, it warns the potential predator by standing up on its hind paws and slamming its front paws onto the ground while hissing loudly.12

These warning behaviors serve as a visual and auditory deterrent, providing the threat with an opportunity to retreat before the skunk resorts to using its defense mechanism—a potent, noxious spray produced by specialized anal glands. By signaling first, the skunk can often avoid the need to spray, which is a vital strategy for conserving its limited supply of the deterrent liquid.12