Is a Skunk's Terrible Smell Really Strong Enough to Protect It?

That awful smell is a very powerful weapon. When another animal attacks it, the skunk sprays its enemy. The smell is so terrible that most other animals are not able to keep on attacking. This is how the small skunk can protect itself from very large enemies. The skunk is a member of the weasel family. It is well known for emitting by far the most offensive odour of all weasels. The source of the smell is a liquid secreted by a pair of glands near the anus. For carnivores with an acute sense of smell, the suffering the odour causes is almost lethal. The skunk has glands in its rear end where the foul-smelling liquid is produced. The skunk sprays out a fine mist that smells really bad. It can make the skunk's enemies choke and their eyes tear.