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Besides the skunk, are there any other mammals that will squirt a person or predator with a foul smell?

Question #102450. Asked by dac1964.

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zbeckabee star
Answer has 5 votes
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zbeckabee star
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18 year member
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Answer has 5 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
There are many animals which possess glands which secrete a foul smelling liquid. However, not all of them use it as defense. Most use it for mating identification purposes or territory marking. There is a stinkbug which secretes a musk-like chemical used as a defense. The musk ox is another large mammal which possesses these musk glands.

Mustelids, with the exception of the sea otter, have anal scent glands that produce a strong-smelling secretion the animals use for sexual signaling and for marking territory. The most developed of these scent glands are found in skunks (Mephitinae), which were moved into a new family, Mephitidae, following DNA analyses.

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustelids#Characteristics

link http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1999-08/934247760.Zo.r.html

Jan 19 2009, 1:53 PM
askelon
Answer has 4 votes
askelon
15 year member
14 replies

Answer has 4 votes.
The Mustelids (Family Mustelidae), with the exception of the sea otter, have anal scent glands that produce a strong-smelling secretion the animals use for sexual signaling and for marking territory. The most developed of these scent glands are found in skunks (Mephitinae), which were moved into a new family, Mephitidae, following DNA analyses.

Skunks can eject a noxious fluid from glands near their anus. It is not only foul smelling, but can cause skin irritation and, if it gets in the eyes, temporary blindness. Some members of the mustelid family, such as the striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus), also have this capacity to an extent. Pangolins can also emit a noxious smelling fluid from glands near the anus. The Great Long-nosed Armadillo can also release a disagreeable musky odor when threatened.

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustelidae
link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venomous_mammals

Jan 19 2009, 2:01 PM
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