Oooh, that Smell!

What’s the first thing you think of when you see a skunk? If you answered “stink” then you’re like most people. Many of us connect skunks with their smell. In fact, the name “skunk” comes from the Algonquin Indian word “seganuku” which means “one who squirts”. The stinky odor that you smell when skunks are around comes from a liquid that they can spray from two spots near their tails. This “skunk juice” is a mixture of sulfur chemicals. Sulfur is a mineral that smells a lot like rotten eggs which is why skunk spray is so stinky. Watch out if you get any of this juice on you because it is not easy to get off! Skunk spray is very difficult to remove from clothes, skin, and hair. Though lots of pet owners swear that you can get a skunk’s smell out of a dog’s hair by washing it in tomato juice, the best way to remove the scent is by washing the stinky area with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and dishwashing soap. This mixture changes the chemicals in the skunk spray so that it no longer stinks.

Not only does skunk juice smell bad, but it also stings. A person who happens to get this fluid on his skin will feel like he’s been stung by a bee. The burning feeling caused by skunk spray is so strong that if you were to get it in your eyes, you might become blind for a short period of time!

Even though it might seem to people who have been sprayed by skunks that the reason for their stinky smell is to annoy us, there is actually a much more important reason why these animals make and squirt their juice. Skunks use their spray to protect themselves from predators (other animals who are trying to attack them). When the average skunk believes that another animal is about to hurt him, he will warn it to get away by first stomping his front legs or running forwards and then backward. Some types of skunks will also hiss or stand up on their front legs. If the predator does not back away, the skunk shoots a cloud of his smelly juice into the air in front of the other animal so that it will have to walk through it to get to him. Skunks are able to spray their juice up to 15 feet. When the predator comes near the cloud of spray he usually is so bothered by the smell that he leaves the skunk alone. The odor from the spray is so powerful that it even keeps bears from attacking skunks!

While skunks are able to use this smelly liquid to protect themselves, they try not to use it too often. They only have enough juice in their bodies at a time to spray 5 or 6 times. It takes a skunk’s body at least 2 weeks to make more juice. Luckily, once a predator has been sprayed once by a skunk he doesn’t usually forget the event. Many animals will stay away from skunks because they remember their horrible smell. As soon as they see a white stripe on a black body, they will run away!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk

What kind of reaction are you mostly likely to have if a skunk sprays you on your bare skin?