Why do skunks stink?

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You're listening to Brains On, where we're serious about being curious. Ask someone to tell you about skunks. What's the first thing you think they'll say? Oh, I know what they're going to say. Me too. Should we see if we're thinking the same thing on the count of three? One, two, three. They're stinky. They'd be really good at mini golf. Did you just say they'd be really good at mini golf? Yeah.

That's not the first thing you thought? No. Skunks aren't always stinky. In fact, most of the time, they smell fine. But they can whip up a powerful stench when they need to protect themselves. Ah, yes. Your answer is better. Their odor is pretty powerful. So if you smell skunk, it means a skunk near you was spooked. If they get nervous, they can sort of release like a little fart, like a little waft of odor.

That's skunk expert Ted Stankowicz. We'll hear more from him soon. And we'll learn more about these striped and only sometimes stinky crampers. Stay tuned. Imagine you're on a desert island. What's something you definitely want with you? A fire starting kit? No, a pallet of canned soup with easy open lids. Wait, actually, a satellite phone to call for help. Oh, okay. Yes, and...

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You're listening to Brains On, part of the Brains On universe. I'm your host, Molly Bloom, and my co-host today is Dia from Cupertino, California. Hi, Dia. Hey, Molly. I'm so excited to co-host. Oh my gosh, we are so excited that you're here. So you've written many questions over the years to us, and we love all of them. And I'm wondering, how do you come up with your questions?

Actually, a lot of these questions pop up when I'm bored or have nothing to do. Like when I'm just sitting there with nothing on my mind, my mind tends to spiral with these random thoughts that lead to questions. And so I make it my quest to get. them answered. And a great way to do that is to ask them to brains on. So being bored can be kind of a good thing, turns out. Yeah, it really can. That's so cool. And so have you ever smelled a skunk in real life? I mean...

I have seen a couple skunks in her front yard, but a crazy thing that did happen. In fifth grade, there was an incident, which we called the skunk invasion, where a skunk got spooked at our school, and the benches, they... Oh my God, it was terrible. We had recess indoors and we were all plugging our noses. Wait, so the skunks sprayed...

The benches like on the playground or something? Yeah, the benches where we would normally sit and eat and it was like we couldn't get anywhere near them. It was crazy. Oh my gosh. So is the stink still there? Did they get rid of it somehow? I mean, yeah, we had to have recess indoors and the, I think it was pest control. They came there and tried to get rid of the smell, but right now it's gone.

Thank goodness. Yeah, thank goodness. So you guys call it the skunk incident? Yeah, the skunk invasion. The skunk invasion. Oh my gosh. So you didn't actually see the skunk, but you smelled them afterwards. Yes, for sure. Well... Lots of people want to know why skunks spray, how they make that smell, and lots of other curiosity about their stinkiness.

And that makes sense, because that's sort of the main thing skunks are known for, right? That and their stylish stripes. We're going to learn all about why and how they make that stinky smell in a moment, but first, let's get to know our fanciful furry friends. Skunk Fat! Skunks are mammals, so they are warm-blooded and make milk for their babies. Skunk Fat!

They're related to pole cats and weasels, but their closest relatives are animals called Old World Stink Badgers. Skunk fact. They're mostly nocturnal, so they usually come out at night. They spend their time looking for plants or bugs to eat. Sometimes they eat small rodents or lizards. They even... eat honeybees. In fact, they love to snack on those stingy little guys. The skunk's thick fur protects them from the sting. They have good hearing and a strong sense of smell.

But their eyesight is actually pretty bad. Huh. So I guess they wouldn't be very good at mini golf, would they? Not a skunk fact.

Well, that's just scratching the surface of these black and white wonders. Let's learn more from someone who's actually hung out with skunks. Yes, let's talk with Marie Tosa. She now works for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, but when she was a student, she studied skunks. Welcome, Marie. Hi, Dia. Thanks for having me on the show. What kind of skunk did you study? What does it look like? I studied the Western Spotted Skunk and it is...

Kind of this squirrel-sized animal. It's really small. It's smaller than your typical skunk that you think of, which is the striped skunk. So this western-spotted skunk is mostly black, but then it has these white spots all over its body. It has one... dot in the center of its forehead and then it has like six to seven stripes on its back and then it's mostly a black tail with a white striped tip. What did you want to learn about them?

I wanted to learn what they are doing in forests in the West. So Western spotted skunks are one of the most common carnivores in the forests in the Pacific Northwest. But we really don't know very much about them. Things like what eats the Western spotted skunk and what kind of forest structures do they need to survive and reproduce and thrive in the forest?

That's so cool. Were you able to answer any of those questions while you were out studying? Yeah, we were able to learn more about the Western Spotted Skunk. One of the things that we learned was that they're a very generalist predator. We found out that they eat a lot of wasps and yellow jackets, something that we typically don't think about.

in terms of skunks and their prey. We also learned that they eat these things called shroomoles and things like chipmunks and flying squirrels, but also birds like thrushes and amphibians like Pacific tree frogs. Wow. So it seems like when people think about skunks, all they think about is the smell. But what else should people know about skunks?

One of the really cool things about western spotted skunks is that they can compete with huge carnivores like cougars, mountain lions, in terms of acquiring prey. So because of this stinky spray, they can... Go up to Mountain Lion and say, hey, I want that deer meat instead. I'm going to eat it and you can't have it. Does the Western Spotted Skunk have a different scent than other skunks?

Yes, I would say Western Spotted Skunk Spray smells different than a Striped Skunk Spray. And the only way that I've figured out how to describe it is to call it like super pungent raw garlic. Oh, spicy. Have you ever gotten skunked while you were studying them? Yeah, for sure. I've been sprayed between 50 and 100 times over the course of my study. Oh, my goodness. It looks like you've learned a lot about skunks, but now that you're studying other animals, do you miss skunks?

Oh, yeah, I absolutely miss studying skunks. You know, just the fact that not very many people know very much about them and that you wouldn't actually see them unless you were actually searching for them makes me miss them a lot. Well, thank you for teaching us so much about skunks, Marie. You're welcome. Thanks for having me on the show.

Before we pivot to our sense of smell, let's test our hearing. It's time for the... You ready for the mystery sound? Yes. All right. Here it is. It sounds like maybe there's something, this is a completely wild guess, there's something filled with air and maybe they're violently stomping on it and it's making that sound. That's a really good guess. Yeah, it sounded...

Like stomping, like something loud, kind of rhythmic. Yeah. I love your guess. I love it. I cannot think of a better guess. So let's stick with that for now. Okay. And we'll have another chance to hear it and take a guess. And hear the answer at the end of the show. Skunks use stink as a way to scare off enemies. But we asked you what creative defense you'd use if you were an animal. Here are some of your wild ideas. My superpower would be...

To have a jet pack so if an enemy was running towards me, I would just blast stuff into the sky. If I had to choose... A mechanism defense to stop other things eating me. I would go really bright so they go blind if they look at me. When I spin really fast, it makes more tornado. I would regurgitate tiny balls that I stored in my chest, and then I would throw them at the animal that's bothering me, and then they would get distracted, and then I would run away.

My idea for a self-defense mechanism would be playing guitar solos until the enemy runs away. I like playing guitar because not only I can have fun, I can make people around me enjoy. Bye! Thank you! Guitar solos, yes! Thanks to Logan from Cincinnati, Isla from Aberdeen, Matilda from Champaign, Illinois, Nikon from Portland, Oregon, and Oliver from Spain.

Nadia, I'm wondering, what about you? Is there an animal defense mechanism you would want to have? I think camouflage. I've always thought camouflage was really cool. Yeah, it'd be crazy to just change purple like at a random time. Yeah, I'd be like, oh, you can't see me. Like a chameleon or like a cuttlefish or something. So cool. If you have an idea for the show or a question or drawing, send it to us.

Go to BrainsOn.org. We can't wait to hear from you. Thanks. Today's episode is sponsored by Bampas. Okay. This is the time of year where people keep asking about your 2026 resolutions. I've got a bunch. I'd like to be more patient. I want to eat more fiber. But let's be honest, at the top of my list this year is... to get comfy. And that's where Bombas comes in. They're bringing serious comfort to all my everyday go-tos.

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I'm Dia. And I'm Molly. We just learned a lot about skunks from our friend Marie Tosa. Turns out they can compete with much larger predators because of their scent. But now it's time for their superpower, a ferocious funk. An odious odor. A stinky stench. A fetid fragrance. Whatever you call it, it's powerful stuff. But what is skunk spray made out of anyway? Oh, I can answer that.

Wombat Pete, what are you doing here, and why do you have that stapler? Just hanging up flyers for the next Wombat Music Festival at Brains On headquarters. It's called Wombonaroo, and it's gonna rock! I thought we said no more of those. There's still glitter in the curtains from last time. No more? I could have sworn you said yes more. See? It says so on the poster. Molly says...

Yes more. Definitely not what I said. It's tricky because yes and no sound almost exactly the same. Can we talk about this later? We're in the middle of taping an episode about skunks. Skunks? I love skunks. Those guys know how to party. Us wombats may poop cubes, but skunks spray stinky oil out their butts, which is what I call... Partying! Woo! You are friends with skunks? Does that mean you know about the stink spray they make? Oh, yeah. I'm very familiar with the spray. Nine words. Don't...

Throw your best friend skunk a surprise party. Oh, yeah. Startling a skunk is a one-way ticket to Stinky Town. You know it, and I know it. But lucky for all of us, my keen nose can read that stink like Molly reads the back of cereal boxes. Thoroughly and repeatedly. I do do that. I do do. Anyway, the chemical response for the stink is called sulfur. I've heard of that. It's the same stuff that gives rotten eggs their stink.

Exactly. And there's even a cooler chemical that's part of the spray. It's called thioacetate. It doesn't smell stinky until it gets wet. Sneaky. So the smell is stronger if you wash it off. Yeah, you may call it sneaky, but I call it warm brilliant. You try to wash off the spray with water, but it only makes you stinkier.

I've heard after a spray you should use tomato juice to stop the stank, but that seems so random. Does tomato juice really help get rid of the stench? No way, bro. You just smell like a tomato. A stinky tomato? By the way, stinky tomato is headlining Wambanaroo. They rock! So, how do you make it go away?

Oh, stinky tomato usually won't go away until I pay them in jelly beans. It's a contract thing. No, I meant how do you make the skunk smell go away? Oh, that. Yeah, there's a simple concoction you can make to stop the smell.

If you're friends with a skunk, you gotta memorize this recipe. Four cats had problems. Queen coughed beside Susie's tenth lasagna. Don't sneeze. Was that beat poetry? No, that would be more like... The wombat perches with his reinforced rump. What is this, marsupial? He thinks. What is a marsupial? Does a marsupial love soup? Like, soup. It's all soup, man. Okay, but like, back to the recipe. Oh, right.

Right. Four cats had problems. Queen coughed beside Susie's tenth lasagna. Don't sneeze. That's a mnemonic device. Oh, a mnemonic device is something that helps you remember. Like, my very excellent mother just served us noodles. That helps you remember the solar system. The first letter of each word in that sentence stands for a planet. Like, my.

is Mercury, very is Venus, excellent is Earth, mother is Mars, and so on. Exactly, Molinator! Four Cats Had Problems stands for four cups of hydrogen peroxide. I'm writing this down. Queen Cough Beside Susie's is for quarter cup baking soda. Got it. Then, tenth lasagna, don't sneeze. That's T-L-D-S. Teaspoon liquid dish soap. So, hydrogen peroxide? Baking soda and dish soap? That's three ingredients that are pretty easy to find. Yeah!

Mix those three together, and it makes a liquid that breaks down the sulfur compounds in the spray into chemicals that don't stink. So handy. Anyhoo. I'd love to stay and chill, but I've got more festival posters to hang. This year's festival is going to be three times as big and four times as loud. We even got the fire ants to come breathe. Actual. Fire. Noise. Thanks for saying yes more, Molly. Wait, I never said that. Come back. Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, you did. It's on the flyer.

So now we know how skunks stink, but why do they stink? Skunks are really the kings of the land out there. Most wild mammal predators will not mess with a skunk unless they're desperate. That's Professor Ted Stankiewicz from California State University, Long Beach, and he's spent a lot of time studying skunks. And he says skunks never spray for fun. It's serious business. Yeah, because it's how they protect themselves from predators, animals that want to eat them.

No, I think skunks just don't ever want to spray. They won't spray unless they absolutely have to. The skunk will do a bunch of different behaviors before it actually sprays in order to make that predator go away. Because skunks only have a certain amount of juice. that they can spray out and they don't want to waste it. So their stink juice is actually precious stuff. They can run out. Before using it, they'll try other things. They'll arch their back to show off their white stripes.

They might scratch or stamp the ground with their paws, trying to appear all tough. They may even charge at the predator a tiny bit as a warning. But if the predator starts to charge at the skunk, then the stinky oil gets released. The skunk will quickly turn its body into a U-shape, so its rear end is facing the predator. And the skunk will spray out a golden stream of smelly liquid as close to the predator's face as possible.

The spray comes out fast and in little drops from two tiny glands in the skunk's rear. These are called anal glands. For the skunks, they're kind of like a spray bottle attached to the butt. And it turns out... This is a very good way to protect yourself. Let's say a coyote gets sprayed by a skunk.

If you're sprayed in the face by skunk oil, it's going to burn. It's going to hurt. It's going to really mess with your nose, your mouth, and your eyes. And the coyote generally will probably roll onto the ground, try to rub its eyes and mouth in the ground. to try to get that stuff off its face. Being sprayed by a skunk is just going to ruin that coyote's night. Especially since coyotes and other animals that would eat skunks have such powerful noses.

It's like all the smells are turned up to the max for them. Great defense, though. We're going to learn more about how skunks developed this stinky superpower in a minute. But first, let's hear more of your sneaky ideas for protecting yourselves from animal enemies. A awesome defense mechanism would be a hand lamp slash food.

Cannonball. My defense would be when an animal sees me, I would just multiply. So like, while the animal's not looking, trying to guess which is the real one, I would just run away. and if i had a weird way of defending myself i would probably have spiked all over my body so it looks scary and animals would be scared of me so like the cannonball flower

will pop up on one side. If you press that button, the bright light will shine out on one side if you press that button. And it's just on your forehead. It shines a really, really colorful bright light. Inspiring and innovative. I love it. Thanks to Elliot from Andover, Michigan, Isla from Melbourne, Australia, and William from New York for sharing those answers. More skunks in a sec. Stay put.

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Okay, we are back and we're answering this question. How did skunks develop this clever and malodorous skill? As with so many things, it's thanks to evolution. Evolution is when living things change over many many generations. Over a long time they can develop new traits or behaviors to help them survive. Evolution is a very important idea in science, and it explains skunks. Things evolve because you have some sort of existing structure that helps get you there.

By that, he means usually an animal develops a power by growing or changing some part of their body. In this case, he means their anal glands, the butt sprayers we talked about before. So all carnivores have... glands in their rear ends that they already had for communication purposes. These glands make things that don't smell great, but they'll use them to mark the ground and mark territories and mark what their home is.

They also sometimes like to smell each other's anal glands to learn more about each other. Dogs do this when they sniff another dog's butt. So your dog and your cat have anal glands about the size of a lima bean? Skunks can be the size of a golf ball or a racquetball. So much, much, much larger and filled with this golden oil that they can spray out. Okay, but back to evolution. Why did skunks evolve to use stink to protect themselves? Why not big claws or strong armor?

coyotes and wolves and mountain lions, those animals are really sensitive to smell. And so spraying them in the face is a really, really effective way to drive them away. Like skunks, these animals are also mostly active at night. Since it's dark, they can't see that well, so they rely more on a super sense of smell to find creatures to eat. Like we said before if you have a super nose getting skunked is really bad news

Not only do you have to smell that stink, it blocks other smells so you can't use your nose for hunting. You might go hungry for days until your smell is back in action. Ted says the stripes on a skunk are a good warning too. Animals often see that and know to stay away. In fact, most times when you see an animal with bold colors, like a black and white snake, or yellow and black bees, it means that animal is dangerous and you should probably leave it alone.

And because so many animals know to leave skunks alone, they really don't have to worry much. Yeah, they get to be slow and chill and just walk around without anyone bothering them. Nice work, skunks. So skunks actually have a pretty solid way of staying safe. Good for them. If you see one, you don't have to be scared. Just don't approach the skunk. Let it be, and it'll let you be.

Yeah, live and let live. That's what my pal Skunk always says. Wombat Pete, you're back. I left my stapler and hacky sack here. Ah, there they are. Hey, before you go. About this Wham Bonnaroo Fest, it seems like a really bad idea. Maybe we should just like... Oh, did I tell you there's going to be a booth selling deep-fried cottage cheese?

Never mind. I'm in. But you need to insure the house this time. Our premiums went through the roof after the last one. As much as I love talking about liability insurance, I got a jet. I'm competing in the fourth annual Marsupial Mini Golf Classic. Fun fact, wombats are great at mini golf. Woo! Wombat Pete is ready to putt to the top. Woo!

Skunks have stinky spray as a way to defend themselves. Thanks, Evolution. They also come in all different shapes and sizes and even have different smells. The stinky spray is very clever because if you try to wash it off with water, it only gets stinkier. To get rid of skunk stink, remember. Four cats had problems. Queen coughed beside Susie's tenth lasagna. Don't sneeze. Or just look at the show notes to get that recipe. That's it for this episode of Brains On.

This episode was written by Molly Bloom, edited by Sandin Potten, and sound design by Mark Sanchez. He wrote the theme music, too. Special thanks to Sairam Ramachandran, Andy Doucette, Ted Stankovich, Marie Tosa, and Ken Toborski. Dia, it is time to go back to that mystery sound. Are you ready? Yes. All right. Here it is. Okay, any new thoughts? So yeah, it does still sound like someone's stomping on something with air, but I was also thinking maybe like a huge axe like whacking a tree maybe?

Ooh, that's really good. Yeah, it's like something like rattling almost like. Yeah. I don't know. This is a tough one. This is a really hard one. I am stumped. Should we hear the answer? Yes. All right. Here it is. Hi, my name is Naomi. I live in Washington, and that was the sound of me lint-rolling my mom's pants. Excuse me? Lint-rolling pants? What? That's aggressive lint rolling. That is the loudest lint rolling. I need to hear that again.

Okay, I feel like the microphone must have been embedded inside of the lint roller or something. Yeah. That was intense. I used to run a lot of lint on those pants. Yeah, so much lint. You needed the most intense lint rolling of all time. Wow. Okay, that was a very tricky one. I'm just giving us high fives because... You know, why not?

Now it's time for the brain's honor roll. These are the incredible kids who keep this show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives. Thank you.

California. Tara from Millburn, New Jersey. Isla from Seattle. Nora from Calgary. Elijah from Honolulu. Robert from Davenport, Florida. Torrin from Somerset, United Kingdom. Ava from West Melbourne, Florida. Stella from Tennessee. Elizabeth from Pryor Lake, Minnesota. Seve from London. Mateo from London. Max from Pittsburgh. We'll see you next time. Thank you. We'll see you next time.

Thank you. Eva from Louisville, Rena from Shinjuku, Japan, Asher from Johnson Creek, Wisconsin, Bob from Dublin, Ireland, Nevin from Lindenville, New York, Penelope from McConnell Walk, Wisconsin, Jack and Izzy from St. Paul, Minnesota, and Gavin from St. Charles, Illinois. We'll be back next week with an episode that looks at a mystery. Thanks for listening.