AI Summary
5 min readIn 1913, naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton called the skunk “an ideal citizen, minds its own business, harms no one, and is habitually inoffensive as long as it is left alone.” He thought it would make a better national emblem than the bald eagle. More than a century later, Dr. Jerry Dragoo — a skunk researcher who has been sprayed in the face nine times and cannot smell a thing — is still fighting to get people to take the animal seriously. In the second half of this conversation with Alie Ward, Dragoo explains what actually works when you or your dog get doused, how to behave around a skunk in the wild, and why the hardest part of his job has nothing to do with the stink.
What to do (and not do) if you get sprayed
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What you'll learn
- 1 (03:56) **First Skunk Spray & The Deodorizing Recipe** - Jerry’s first time getting sprayed as an undergrad, and the host delivers the definitive skunk deodorizing formula.
- 2 (08:03) **Skunk Social Life & Coexistence with Other Wildlife** - Why skunks can peacefully share a yard with foxes, raccoons, and bobcats without spraying.
- 3 (10:32) **Skunk Relationships: Are Pairs on a Cute Date?** - Explaining why you often see two skunks together and whether they’re mates, siblings, or mom-and-kids.
- 4 (11:52) **Delayed Implantation & Baby Skunk Season** - How western spotted skunks can pause pregnancy for months, plus the debut of spring babies.
- 5 (14:00) **Rough Mating Rituals & Weasel Aggression** - Why skunk courtship involves biting and stomping, and how it compares to sea otters.
- 6 (15:28) **Pepe Le Pew: A Revisionist Take** - The host and Jerry argue that Pepe’s real problem is smell, not aggression—and that the cat sometimes pursues him.
- 7 (18:50) **Do Skunks Mind Their Own Smell?** - Yes, they hate getting sprayed too, and they rub it in dirt just like dogs do.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
What happens when you've been sprayed nine times in the face by a skunk? Part 2 with Mephitologist Dr. Jerry Dragoo answers that question. Also on the agenda: pet skunks, lavender skunks, skunk family planning, Pepe Le Pew on trial, why some of us enjoy the stench, how to handle a skunk approach, if skunks can smell themselves, and the very bizarre circumstances by which this guest first rose to international skunk fame. Also: the proper way to watch a skunk.
Check out the Dragoo Institute for the Betterment of Skunks and Skunk Reputations
A donation went to Friends of Big Bear Valley
“We Meet At Last” skunk shirt by jbstink.com
More episode sources and links
Other episodes you may enjoy: Zoohoplology (ANIMAL DEFENSES), Procyonology (RACCOONS), Sciuridology (SQUIRRELS), Lutrinology (OTTERS), Mammalogy (MAMMALS), Road Ecology (ROAD KILL), Discard Anthropology (GARBAGE), Indigenous Fashionology (NATIVE CLOTHING), Literary Olfactology (THE POLITICS OF SMELL), Disgustology (REPULSION TO GROSS STUFF), Meteorology (WEATHER & CLIMATE)
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