What do skunks smell like?

Answer 1

The Smell of SkunksThe smell of skunks has been compared to burnt rubber.

I describe the skunk smell as a VERY bitter smell. It was not what I had expected when my dog came to me, sprayed. It is NOT gross like a rotten egg, or something that smells more sour like. It is better, and indeed you will never forget the smell of a skunk. It also stays quite long, is very strong, and indeed a very unique smell which I think you will not find on anything else.

Here is more input:

• When they spray: putrid. The worst lingering smell you will ever experience.

• Skunks don't really smell like anything else. They are pretty unique in that sense.

• Interesting animals, skunks are. They're really quite mild mannered, and if you don't startle them or make them angry, they're happy to leave you alone. All they want from humans is the scraps of food that we carelessly leave laying around. They normally eat just about anything from frogs to bird eggs to whatever they can find in your garbage can. However, nature has given them a very effective means of self defense in the spray that they direct at an enemy. The spray is a chemical concoction manufactured by special glands in the skunks body. One of the ingredients is actually sulfuric acid, a very strong acid used for making car batteries and other industrial uses. To describe the smell of skunk spray is tough, as there's nothing in our daily lives that resembles it. It can, in very very small amounts, smell something like burned rubber. But, in larger quantities it is just indescribable. Once you smell it, you'll never forget it. It's very strong, and makes your eyes water and breathing difficult. It's very, very unpleasant to be sprayed by a skunk, which two of my dogs will swear to. Hopefully, you'll get a chance to find the answer for your question from a distance. And, remember, skunks are known to be carriers of rabies. If you're ever bitten by one, see a doctor immediately. Otherwise, they're really gentle critters who mind their own business. The only time I take action is if they decide to set up housekeeping under my porch. In that case, spreading mothballs around under the porch seems to chase them away. Mothballs smell to skunks like they smell to us.

Also in short here are 3 things they smell like is garlic, rotten eggs, burnt rubber.

Try taking a whiff of all three, a fun experiment to do at home.

Addition:

A skunk died under my apartment, and without knowing what the scent was I described it as an onion microwaved inside of a rubber glove for 20 minutes on high. That is exactly what it smelled like.