Never mind skunks: 6 more Canadian animals that reek

How could something so cute be so noxious? Even though these little semiaquatic carnivores produce a liquid defence similar to a skunk’s—they too have glands in their butts—they can’t aim or spray as efficiently. But they spray more readily, at the slightest threat. So if you see a mink…keep your distance. And try not to spook it.

Looks like a frog, stinks like a mink. Well, sort of. When predators (or people) touch this amphibian, it produces an odour that smells a little like rotting onions. That’s…specific. Mink frogs are easily confused with non-stinky green frogs, but the former are smaller, and have dark blotches, not bands, on their hind legs.

This big, shaggy, cold-weather beast gets its name for the musky urine the male produces during mating season (to mark territory and attract females). Lots of male mammals use stink to draw in the ladies, it’s just that the muskox gets especially pungent. A bull’s thick, long fur easily traps and holds the urine that he produces. Hey, that’s convenient! And disgusting.

There’s a reason this weasel’s nickname is “skunk bear.” But unlike a skunk, a wolverine uses its smelly secretions not as defence but to mark territory and deter others away from food stores. Seems like a poor trade-off—who would want their own dinner to smell like skunk?

Like the mink frog, this little guy produces a musky stench when disturbed. It has a narrow, arched shell and two yellow stripes on the sides of the head, so it’s easy enough to distinguish from other Ontario turtles (whose shells are wider and flatter). The more common name for this species is the musk turtle. But “stinkpot” is so much more endearing!

Okay, so this funny-looking seabird isn’t technically Canadian, it’s just a visitor (sometimes spotted along the West Coast). And it doesn’t smell bad, unless you have an aversion to the scent of freshly peeled tangerines. The citrusy odour—used to attract mates—is so strong that you could smell a group of the birds before you see them. “Fragrant scent signalling” is pretty much unheard of in birds. Hear that, crested auklet? You’re unusual for more than just your looks.