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Since they are cold-blooded, snakes find cool toilet bowls attractive, especially during hot weather. Or they may be seeking to escape the plumbing and find a spot in your home where they can warm up on a cold night. Snakes may also be looking for food.

Skunks spray as a defense mechanism to ward off predators. The active ingredient in their sulfurous, oily musk is n-butyl mercaptan, which evaporates into a powerful and smelly gas. Once the spray hits the skunk’s target, the stench can linger for days, and water and common cleaning kits aren’t enough to wash it away.

If you happen upon a skunk in your yard, try to back away slowly to reduce the chance of them aiming at you. Encouragingly, they don’t use their weapon casually, as it can take up to 10 days for their life-saving weaponry to refill. Paw stamping, hissing, lifting their tail, and arching their back are early signs they feel trapped or under threat and that it’s time to make a careful retreat.

Iguanas cause a variety of damage to properties and pose other dangers. Their tunnels can collapse seawalls and foundations. They destroy native plants, trees, gardens, and agriculture. They compete with native animals for food. Their droppings, left almost anywhere, can transmit salmonella which is especially dangerous to vulnerable groups like children and the elderly.

Groundhogs usually keep their cool despite being easily spooked. However, there are exceptions—they might get defensive or territorial if they feel threatened or overly concerned. If they sense a threat to their babies, they could get feisty, too. These wild animals are not meant to be kept as pets. If you find babies or an injured groundhog, contact your local animal rescue or wildlife service for guidance.