Striped Skunk
Aardvark
And the award for the best defensive player in the animal kingdom goes to.... North America's striped skunk!
Although the competition is nothing to sniff at, the judges are proud to honor this cat-sized mammal for his ability to really stink up the place. (His Latin name, after all, means "bad odor.") When frightened or cornered by a predator like a hawk or bobcat, the black-and-white wonder turns around, raises his tail, and contracts the powerful muscles that surround his musk glands, thereby releasing some majorly stinky chemicals.
Talk about hitting the spot! The sharp-shooting skunk can spray the smelly stuff as a fine mist or as droplets up to 12 feet away. The only animal who doesn't seem to mind is the great horned owl, who regularly preys on skunk. The owl and his nest are pretty stinky, too--guess it's lucky he doesn't have a good sense of smell--or any roommates!