the smell of the skunk goes to anal scent glands.
where does the smell of the skunk go?
anal scent glands
skunks are notorious for their anal scent glands, which they can use as a defensive weapon. they are similar to, though much more developed than, the glands found in species of the family mustelidae. skunks have two glands, one on each side of the anus. these glands produce the skunk's spray, which is a mixture of sulfur-containing chemicals such as thiols (traditionally called mercaptans), which have an offensive odor. a skunk's spray is powerful enough to ward off bears and other potential attackers. muscles located next to the scent glands allow them to spray with a high degree of accuracy, as far as . the smell aside, the spray can cause irritation and even temporary blindness, and is sufficiently powerful to be detected by a human nose up to 5.6 km (3.5 miles) downwind. their chemical defense is effective, as illustrated by this extract from charles darwin's "voyage of the beagle":
skunk
after so much abuse (being thrown out of a store, shooed from a house, and attacked by dogs), an orange cat decides he has gotta do something about it. thinking that it would make things easier, the cat disguises himself as a skunk using paint and smelly substances. although he is successful in keeping his tormentors at bay, he accidentally attracts the unwanted attention of a real skunk, "henri." the cat runs from him and hides in a tree, where the skunk then appears out of nowhere. the cat runs into town, grabs a skunk fur, then runs to a silo, from which he threatens to jump if the skunk gets any closer. the cat throws the skunk fur from the top of the silo, hoping to decoy the skunk. but as the cat sneaks down the steps, henri realizes that the fur is just a fur and resumes pursuing the cat. continuing to run, the cat accidentally brings a dog into the mix, then tries a bugs bunny costume to fool henri. but the disguise does not work as the skunk pulls the rabbit head off to reveal the cat. once the cat is tired and worn out, henri cuddles with him until someone interrupts; it turns out to be the skunk's wife and two kids. standing in disbelief, henri claims he was only "wiping a cinder from a lady's eye," but to no use as she doesn't believe him and is convinced he is cheating on her with someone else. he is repeatedly beat on the head with his wife's umbrella as the cat crawls away to escape and removes all of the paint and smell. he realizes that he would rather endure the abuse than be with a smelly skunk.
odor-able kitty