Bobby Cosgrove, age 11, of Kingston, Ont., Canada, for his question:

DOES A SKUNK DISLIKE HIS OWN SPRAY?

No person or animal likes the scent of a skunk, not even the skunk himself. And since he creates it, he knows all the tricks to avoid it. Actually, a skunk is a peaceable character who would just as soon not use his spray at all. However, the woods are full of young uneducated animals who try to attack him. Then he uses his spray to protect himself by chemical warfare.

When attacked, he usually faces his foe, growls and stamps his front feet as a warning. If this is ignored, he swings around in a flash and squirts his spray full in his enemy's face.    Meantime he turns to face the wind and walks away  while the ghastly scent blows in the other direction. Sometimes two male skunks get into a fight  but usually they are too polite to spray their scent onto each other.