Nature Stinks!

Nature Stinks!

Stinky Nature If you've ever smelled a skunk, you know it is not a nice odor. In fact, it's terrible! Did you know that both plants and animals can smell bad? Stinky plants smell bad to get helpful insects to come near. Stinky animals often smell bad to keep enemies away. Smelling bad helps both plants and animals stay alive.

Stinky Furry Animals Skunks are well-known smelly animals. When enemies get close, skunks lift their tail and spray a stinky liquid. Striped polecats are cousins of skunks. They stink even worse!

Lesser anteaters are at least four times as stinky as a skunk! They shoot a smelly liquid at their enemies. Opossums pretend to be dead if an enemy is near. They stay still and let out stinky green slime.

Wolverines make a smelly liquid to keep other animals away from their home. They also pee on food they don't eat right away. The smell may help them find the food later. It may also keep other animals from eating it.

Male musk oxen fight each other for females. Males use their stinky pee to tell other males to keep away. The pee sticks to their long belly hair and makes them smell terrible.