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Bordered With Black:
North and South America, in the islands of the Pacific, and in Europe
Woods, fields, gardens, plains
Economic position: Harmless in every way
Wingspread 4-5 inches; wings rich red-brown bordered with black; white spots scattered through the black; veins of wings outlined with black; body black with white spots.Description: Russet red saddles along back, bordered in front and back with black rings; between black rings is sulphur yellow ring; neck sulphur yellow edged with black; front of head rufous with black spots; snout yellowish; grows to length of 25 inches Habitat: Sandy soils, cotton fields, corn fields of bayou bottoms, edges of cypress swamps, and in old logs
Its hair is rather long, coarse, and black, but in typical forms the back from between the eyes to the base of the tail is blanketed with silver gray bordered by white, in strong contrast with the jet black of the limbs, face, and underparts. Some forms are entirely black, however, while in others only the top of the head is white. Like the skunk, the ratel has large, well-developed anal glands capable of ejecting at will a secretion that not only possesses a most objectional odor but has a burning effect when it comes in contact with the eyes, nose, and mouth.
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