How Does a Skunk Spray Its Predators?
The Warning Skunks are good about warning their predators. They will run directly towards the enemy, stop a few feet from it, stomp their front feet, hiss, grunt, or even screech. If the enemy continues to pursue, the skunk will turn, hump its back, and position itself so the head and tail face the predator. It actually forms a U shape. It will then raise its tail and spray. The striped skunk may walk on its front feet with its tail in the air to give warning. Skunks can accurately spray 10 feet and spray up to 25 feet. The Spray The spray acts like tear gas that can cause momentary blindness to the predator, if the liquid gets near the eyes. It can cause nausea and vomiting because the chemical ingredients of the oil are thiols. Thiols are what make decomposing bodies and feces smell repulsive because they are emitted as part of the decomposing process. Skunks store the chemicals naturally as an oil. The spray is yellow oil that the skunk stores in two glands the size of grapes. The g
