The notorious skunk smell has long had a bad reputation, but what truly makes it so powerful? Skunks have developed, through evolution, a potent spray which they use to defend themselves as a last resort. Local to north america and being easily distinguishable by their black and white pattern, skunks are known to spray dogs, cats, and even humans at times. When a skunk feels threatened they will have initial warning responses such as hissing, stomping their feet, or scratching the ground, and if all those fail a foul smelling spray is sure to follow.
The skunk spray, which is generally only used on predators, is produced in the skunk’s anal glands and can take up to ten days to fully replenish. Although produced consistently, the spray accumulates slowly, being able to potentially leave the skunk vulnerable if it were to use it all up in one spray. This long period in which a skunk is practically defenseless against predators such as coyotes or wolves is the reason why they are so careful about when and how much of the liquid they use. What makes the skunk spray so prominent and effective is the components within it, and more specifically thiol. This organic compound is primarily composed of sulfur which is what gives the spray its rotten egg smell. Thiol is so easily identifiable that it is often added to relatively odorless natural gas in order to bring awareness to any potential leaks. In the case of skunks, the odor caused by the thiol is so strong that it can be smelled up to a half mile away. Skunks are also known to have decent aim with many being able to spray accurately for up to 10 feet. In terms of toxicity, the yellow sticky substance is harmless unless directly ingested or if it comes in contact with the eyes, with its real danger being how well it’s able to stick to clothing and fur. As described in the article, the skunk uses “two nipple-like independently rotating squirters” (1) to dispense the liquid and scare away any potential dangers, leaving behind a horrible stench that can linger for 3 weeks on dog fur without proper treatment.
Being organic compounds with a powerful smell allow thiols to be very useful and effective tools against potential danger. The fact that the substance accumulates very slowly in the animal’s anal glands makes it an absolute last measure, as without it they have no means to protect themselves. Despite being generally harmless, the very accurate spray from a skunk will send a clear message across.
Posted by David Miropolsky (2)
I know we all are aware of the skunk's stench when they spray, but I never actually knew how they did it. I know that that dogs also excrete their anal glands, producing an unfavorable stench as well, but what's interesting is they don't do this often or use it as a defense mechanism.
ReplyDelete- Brianna Bailey
DeleteI thought you had a really good post, the title was attention drawing and drew me into reading the post. I think you had a lot of good and interesting points. I never knew a skunk smell could be smelt up to half a mile away, and I never knew that skunks could limit the amount they spray as to not run out!
ReplyDelete- Jess Ross
Great article!! What are the best ways to remove the smell of a skunk if you are sprayed? I know that alot of people say to use tomato juice, but does it actually work? Thanks,
ReplyDeleteSarah Conant
Thanks for commenting! apparently tomato juice is not entirely that effective in removing the stench, instead a solution containing 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda, and 1-2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap should be used.
Delete- David Miropolsky
It was interesting to learn about this skunk phenomenon. While I never really knew what was in a skunk's spray, it makes sense that there is some ethanol in it, as ethanol does not at all smell good. If you've ever smelled diesel gas with ethanol in it, it smells just like rotten eggs.
ReplyDeleteSince it takes them a bit to re-accumulate the liquid for their spray, how often are they able to spray because of this?
-Emma Alderman-Shapiro
I liked the topic you chose. I had no idea it took 10 days for the smell to completely go away. This was very interesting to read about!
ReplyDelete-Lara Pereira
Thank you for your comment! it really is crazy to think that skunks can run out of their most effective weapon. Makes you wonder how they would defend themselves in such a situation.
Delete- David Miropolsky
Wow, I never knew a skunk had to wait ten days just to spray again! If skunks control how much spray they release to conserve the amount of spray they have, how many sprays, on average, do you think a skunk can let out before it runs dry?
ReplyDelete-Morianna Saint-Cyr
DeleteHi David,
ReplyDeletethis blog post was such an interesting read. I think most people know that skunks produce this stinky smell but the reason and other facts behind it is not that well known. The smell is so strong due to thiol which contains sulfur, and this made me think about sulfur in gassy humans which also causes the stinky smell.
-Kristina Baldeo
This post was a very interesting post! Skunk spray has always been a fascinating topic and it was interesting to see the mechanisms behind it. I was not aware that skunks are very careful about how much and when they spray. My dog has gotten sprayed by a skunk before so I can definitely confirm that it takes a long time to go away.
ReplyDeleteThis was very interesting, I didn't know it took them so long to produce their spray and how vulnerable they can be after they use it. I thought that skunks were able to use it as many times as they want but it turns out it's more their last resort of defense. Great post and very informative!
ReplyDelete-Selena Yim
Thank you for your comment, I also found that really interesting and it made wonder if sunks have to change their lifestyle at all during a period when they are out of the spray.
Delete- David Miropolsky
This post was really interesting, I learned a lot about the process that the skunk goes through in order to efficiently scare away predators. I also had no idea it took so long to get the smell of skunk off of clothing and pets, this was really informative.
ReplyDelete