Posted on 03/14/2005 11:12:59 AM PST by utahguy
Does "skunk smell" bother other skunks?
We once discussed cures for a skunk attack(See Below), but now we're down to the nitty-gritty. Does an all-out odor attack from one skunk cause another skunk to go running?
Skunks themselves are very clean animals and have very little, if any, odor. It’s only when they feel threatened that they let fly with their scent-secreting glands and spray their attacker with nature’s equivalent of Mace. The versatile skunk has two "settings" under his tail; one shoots a forceful stream directed at the face of his victim, while the other sprays stink in a sort of atomizer-style mist, designed to fog the area with a fragrant cloud.
Whichever approach the skunk uses, both are emitted along with a small blast of air, not unlike human flatulence. This is to force the spray away, preventing any of it from getting on Pepe Le Pew’s own fur. Why? As it turns out, skunks don’t like their smell, either. In the skunk kingdom, there’s a sort of unwritten rule among the critters about not spraying one another. They even have several signals they use to warn a fellow stinker if they’re getting agitated and are about to blow: they stomp their front feet, fluff up their fur, or even growl. Scientists have noted, however, that baby skunks are not too different from school-age children. Littermates will regularly spray each other seemingly for fun, and then retreat to their own corner.
Luckily, they don’t have opposable thumbs, so they can’t light matches at the same time.
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Cures for a Skunk Attact
Despite what you may have heard, tomato juice doesn't take away the odor after a smelly blast from a skunk.
The scent skunks use as a defense mechanism is not urine, as widely thought, but a musk comprised of seven distinct compounds. Whatever the recipe, everyone agrees that skunk discharge plainly stinks. Skunks only spray as a last resort when they feel threatened, and quite often, the victims are our household pets.
The traditional remedy to de-skunk Fido or Fluffy has long been known to be a tomato juice bath. Scientists now advise us, however, that this is only a temporary solution. After a few whiffs of skunk, "olfactory fatigue" sets in, which is a natural occurrence when one is subjected to an offensive odor — the nose simply gets used to it. So by the time you soak your pet in V-8, you've gotten accustomed to the musky stench, and as the tangy tomato aroma permeates the air, it seems to "override" the unpleasant stink.
There are people who swear by a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and liquid soap to de-smell your pet, but the very best advice is to take it to a veterinarian for some professional dry cleaning. Call first, of course, so the vet can prepare. It's not likely that the doctor would appreciate "eau de skunk" lingering in the waiting room for several days.
For a moment there, I thought you were using a similie (?) to welfare mommas, criminals, junkies, old-hippies, and Gen-X losers and Democratic Politicians (specif: Hillary).
"Luckily, they don’t have opposable thumbs, so they can’t light matches at the same time."
LOL!
Skunk flame thrower bump.
Well,
if the skunk smell bothered other skunks, there wouldn't be any baby skunks.
AXE body soray for skunks.
"The AXE effect!"
*oh man.. get that outta my head..*
What is Mercaptan?
Natural gas in its native state is colorless and odorless. Mercaptan is the additive that is added to natural gas to make it easier to detect in case of a leak. The most important thing to know about mercaptan is that it stinks. Some people compare it to the smell of rotten eggs.
In a concentrated form, its smell is almost unbearable. And it takes only a few parts per million of mercaptan to give natural gas a smell. That is precisely why we add it to natural gas. If we did not add mercaptan, it would be hard for you to know that unlit natural gas was coming from your stove after you left the valve turned on. And leaks from furnaces and hot water heaters would be nearly impossible to detect without expensive equipment. So mercaptan's smell is a very valuable safety feature.
Mercaptans contain sulfur. That's what makes them smell. The kind we use blends well with natural gas and, in a gaseous state, has much the same properties as natural gas, so it will also rise and dissipate with natural gas.
There are other uses for mercaptans in industry, including jet fuel, pharmaceuticals and livestock feed additives. They are used in many chemical plants. Mercaptans are less corrosive and less toxic than similar sulfur compounds found naturally in rotten eggs, onions, garlic, skunks, and, of course, bad breath. In other word, forms of mercaptan can be found in things that smell.
Hey, theDentist. Doubt if you remember, but when I was a new-new-newby, you responded to my first post. So a raucus Hi!, and how's it going?
BTW, I *think* you mean metaphor :)
BTW: You missed that followup appointment. I was disappointed, but billed your insurance anyhow. :)
Not much more, my friend:)
BTW: You missed that followup appointment. I was disappointed, but billed your insurance anyhow. :)
Good! Have to keep up those high life styles that you dentists have.
It can also be present in the breath of persons with liver damage.
Whoa!
*Le Pant* *Le Gasp* *Le Wheeze*
Which reminds me; when you see an entry on your credit card for Gretchen&Kim Plumbing Services, no need to investigate. Just pay it and send me the bill.
Apparently the smell doesn't offend my dog, because he just keeps chasing them. Large dog, small number of brain cells.
So my plumbing is out of whack? Well, at my age, I guess that's true :-)
(Actually it had something to do with theirs.)
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