Skunk (1 Viewer)

[Julian Reville]

anyone know what is in their spray that stinks so much?

"The pungent, acrid skunk musk is composed of many compounds, but the principal compound is normal-butyl-mercaptan (butanethiol)" from Descenting Carnivores; Murray E. Fowler

 

[Philip_G]

I'm no chemist it's not flammable, is it?
we should start a new "urban myth"
Tell drunk college kids that skunks spray is flammable, and if you light it when they spray you they'll blow up

 

[Cees Alons]

Those musk-odors are in fact very related to musks of other animals (including us ). That's why it's so emotional.
In fact, some substances just stink, while some of those odors seem to have different effect: they enhance our "appreciation" of another odor, be it positive or negative.

Some of it is used by the perfume industry!

Here's an observation by S. Freud: The own feces doesn't stink. Well it does, but it only begins to be really repugnant after you have mentally detached yourself from your ownership (e.g. went away after, ahem, leaving it somewhere).

Cees