MORE MYTHS: If you get close to a skunk, you’ll get sprayed.

Fact: It is actually pretty difficult for a person to get
sprayed by a skunk. These animals only spray to defend themselves,
such as when a dog runs up and grabs them. But because they cannot
“reload” very fast, skunks do not waste their odiferous weapon.
Instead, they will stamp their front feet as a warning to get you
to back off.

More myth-busting today from the Humane Society of the United
States’ Wild Neighbors Program.

Bats get tangled up in your hair if they fly near you.

Fact: The last place a bat wants to be is in your hair. Bats
navigate using a complex sonar-like system called echolocation
which allows them to “see” their world with precision. The
misconception about bats flying in hair is based on a bat’s
swooping flight patterns when trapped in a confined space, like a
house. The reason they swoop is not to fly into your hair, but to
stay airborne.

Cats belong outdoors and it is not fair to keep them inside the
house.

Fact: Letting cats roam outside subjects them to perils of the
outdoor world, particularly being hit by cars. Indoor cats live a
healthier and longer life. Outdoor cats, no matter how well-fed,
will hunt and kill wildlife like baby rabbits, chipmunks and baby
birds who have not yet learned to fly. Wildlife and cats are both
at risk when people let their cats out.

Opossums are vicious and rabid.

Fact: Opossums are highly resistant to rabies, most likely due
to their low body temperature. Opossums are also relatively benign
creatures who defend themselves by hissing, teeth-baring and
drooling. These are not a sign of rabies but rather a bluff to
scare off potential predators. When their act doesn’t work, they
play dead.

Canada geese stick around because they forgot how to
migrate.

Fact: Geese who live in one place year-round do so through no
fault of their own. Our “resident” birds are descendants of
captive-bred geese introduced by wildlife agencies over several
decades to restore huntable populations. Geese were also released
by people who thought they would simply look nice on their ponds.
As a result, transplanted geese never learned to migrate from their
parents, but still thrive in our suburban landscapes.