Skunk spray more common during courting season

It is not just we laymen who recognize this olfactory offensiveness. The scientific community is on board with the same views. Indeed, the scientific genus/species name for striped skunk in Mephitis mephitis. That’s Latin for smells bad times two.

But skunks don’t emit that overpowering sulfurous stink all the time. The stifling smell comes specifically from a thick, oily musk that the skunk can expel from glands with outlets on both sides of its anus. The yellowish goo is forced out as a choking, coating spray in times of stress.

Nature equips skunks with the vile spray as a means of defense. Skunks aren’t especially fast, they don’t climb trees and they aren’t terribly ferocious, meaning that, other things being equal, they would be highly vulnerable to predators. That stinky musk, however, is like some sort of obscene pepper spray.

If attacked or threatened with attack, a skunk can expel a mist of musk 8-10 feet with pretty good accuracy. Most would-be attackers are deterred by immediate respiratory distress. The spray is much like a natural tear gas, causing pain and irritation of eyes and nasal passages, choking and nausea.

Spray hitting the eyes can temporarily blind an aggressor. The sickening tear gas effect combined with pain is usually enough to convince any bully to leave a smaller skunk alone. Furthermore, most predators that incur the stinky critter’s chemical defense are reluctant to try them again in future meetings.

People tend to fear skunks because of their legendary stench bombs. In most cases, a skunk won’t spew at a human unless that upright threat presses some kind of attack. A skunk usually will warn of its potential if approached. The critter may hiss or otherwise announce its apprehension while twisting its body to point its loaded rump at the potential aggressor.

Impending danger of a spray is announced if and when a skunk does a handstand, lifting its rear and pointing its anal gland ports at the threat. If one is within handshaking distance when a skunk does this, it might even be too late.

A skunk probably doesn’t want to spray if it can be avoided. Depleting the musk supply leaves a skunk without the ammunition to protect itself until it can naturally replenish that stifling lotion.

I’ve walked up uncomfortably close to skunks a couple of times this season. Plodding along after nightfall, I’ve approached within personal space before recognizing those dark clumps for what they are. Yet, skunks seem to recognize one’s error and they don’t get overly upset if you halt, back away and go around.

February brings a sharp upswing in skunk travels because of mating activities of the black and white pasture poodles. Males, in particular, expand their home range somewhat, wandering beyond their normal feeding areas in search of potential mates.

This added movement often gets skunks into extra troubles, which inevitably put more skunk spray in the air. Skunk meanders may put them in contact with more predators. Skunks come across more human households, and those with resident dogs are ready made for traumatic meetings between Mephitis and domestic canines.

Yet, predators and would-be predators may not be the skunks’ worst enemies. Those could be motor vehicles.

Skunks engaged in lovelorn wanderings are likely to cross more roads and streets. These crossings too often result in the critters getting hit or squashed by passing vehicles. When this happens, either by involuntary reflex or intentional (but futile) defensive action, a skunk usually sprays.

This skunk-vehicle trauma probably gives us humans more experiences with musk odors than any other provocation. In the air, the scent of a roadkill skunk can inundate an entire neighborhood. And the forced spray can flavor the site of the squashing for days. The skunk can even be gone, but the smell of the confrontation tweaks the noses of hundreds of subsequent motorists passing there.

Male skunks competing for breeding rights and perhaps territorial dominance may even spray when two encounter each other and the meeting leads to fussing and fighting.

With all this potential of skunk spray in the air nowadays, it is good to know de-stinking tactics if a pet or an injudicious human messes up and comes into contact with the ghastly musk. Alas, mere soap and water won’t cut it.

Mostly by folklore, we’re told that the traditional skunk stink remedy is a washing with tomato juice. This seems to help, but scientist tell us that olfactory fatigue makes the skunk scent seem to weaken after a time when, even after a tomato juice application, it is still awfully strong.

The real deal to negate the smell is a mixture of one quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup of baking soda and one teaspoon of dish washing detergent. Apply this liquid to all that was touched by the skunk spray mist.

If you have tomato juice, drink it.

Steve Vantreese, a freelance outdoors writer, can be contacted at outdoors@paducahsun.com.