Squirrels Rub on Snake Stink to Avoid Predators

I know I should leave the FCC post at the top of the page, because it’s extremely important. And yet, a post with the words “snake stink” in it seems like a fitting tribute to FCC Chairman Kevin J Martin, don’t you think?

Most snakes give off a subtle odor that’s akin to gamey fried chicken, but it is a useful smell to [tag]rock squirrels[/tag] and [tag]California ground squirrels[/tag], which chew shed rattlesnake skins and then lick their fur with their snake-scented spit, according to a new study.

The rather indelicate ritual likely helps [tag]squirrels[/tag] fool their rattlesnake arch nemeses. The discovery may represent the first documented instance of a vertebrate self-applying a chemical from a foreign source in order to defend itself against predators.

[read the entire scary article]

To be honest, I’d chew on rattlesnake skin and spit it onto my skin if it repelled snakes. I like snakes, when I know where they are. I don’t like when they have the upper hand. And [tag]snakes[/tag] are wily, they always have the upper hand.

4 thoughts on “Squirrels Rub on Snake Stink to Avoid Predators”

  1. Faith

    Maybe you should get some eau de snake and spray it around your house to keep the squirrels away. Oh wait, that would attract the snakes though. Nevermind.

  2. JunglePete

    A few things – the article suggests “snake stink” smells like gamey fried chicken. I’ve handled many snakes and when they stink on you it smells more like rotten fish and vulture vomit mixed together. god awful.

    I love how the associate professor of evolutionary biology referred to this behavior as “neat”.

    and lastly – as one fearful of snakes, you may not realize that they can never have the “upper hand” – as they are “handless” although some have vestigial toenails near their cloaca – which I think is neat.

    The FCC stuff is important – but finds like this are far more exciting to me. and it is all about me.

  3. rebecca

    These are such grand comments I hated to sully them by replying.

    Snakes are wiley creatures who have clearly hypnotized you, JunglePete. I may have to rally some of our schoolmates for an intervention. Snakes can read your thoughts, I’m sure of it. Be careful in the swamp.

  4. bagrl

    “a subtle odor that’s akin to gamey fried chicken”

    I am now repeating the words gamey friend chicken to myself – that phrase could mean sooo many different smells, really.
    While I don’t trust snakes any farther than I could throw them, I certainly don’t hate them. That said, I actually can’t throw them as I’d be too nervous to actually pick one up in the wild. So no snake throwing for me, even if they smell like gamey fried chicken.

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