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What's the worst animal-related smell you've ever experienced at work?

Discussion in 'General Zoo Discussion' started by zlyssa2, 16 Dec 2017.

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  1. Canihelpyou?

    Canihelpyou? Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Any snake with amoeba. Alive or dead, the smell just stings in your nose like you just got stabbed by two knifes in your nose.
     
  2. zlyssa2

    zlyssa2 Active Member

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    I haven't heard of that before! What's a "snake with amoeba," you mean a parasitic microorganism type of thing? What causes the smell? Is it the poop or something else?

    Speaking of snakes...anyone ever experienced "Snake musk" which they use in self defense?
     
  3. Canihelpyou?

    Canihelpyou? Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Yes, its parasitic. The smell Comes from the organs inside, which you van also smell on the outside. And, also the poop, which is more blood than poop.
     
  4. Kakapo

    Kakapo Well-Known Member

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    I did, in fact it was my first snake ever and I was extremely jealous to find such treasure. Of course I was a kid. It was a viperine snake (Natrix maura), famous by their smelly defense. I caught it by the tail just in time for avoid it disappearing quickly through the structure of a water seepage. Of course the snake proceeded to urinate (?) in my hand inmediately.
     
  5. Gomphothere

    Gomphothere Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Worked with sea lions, but they poop in the water, so you don't have contact with it.

    By far the worst is skunk spray. Surprised that hasn't been mentioned here yet.
     
  6. zlyssa2

    zlyssa2 Active Member

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    Yikes, sounds nasty! No experience with the musk though? I've also heard their "regurge" really stinks...
     
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  7. zlyssa2

    zlyssa2 Active Member

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    Haha ick! The musk doesn't smell like urine though, does it? I thought musk was supposed to be a lot worse. Did it just smell like urine, or something else?
     
  8. zlyssa2

    zlyssa2 Active Member

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    Oh true! I had forgotten about skunk spray, I guess most others did too haha. I didn't think that was something most people really experience since I figured most skunks at zoos are descented? Have you actually been sprayed then, point-blank? What's that like? I've only smelled it in the car at a distance and it's never bothered me, but I'm guessing up close is different?
     
  9. Kakapo

    Kakapo Well-Known Member

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    It was not so bad. If you caught a common wall gecko that defecated as defense in your hand (I caught tons of them since they are very common in my garden), you will notice that the viperine snake have a very similar odour, just much more intense smell.
     
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  10. zlyssa2

    zlyssa2 Active Member

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    Haha the musk smelled like gecko poop? I've never heard of that xD
     
  11. zlyssa2

    zlyssa2 Active Member

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    I just volunteered with big cats and was surprised by how little they smelled.
     
  12. Welsh Zootographer

    Welsh Zootographer Well-Known Member

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    Not exactly work, but I am a hospital patient three times a week every week. There are four of us in the ward, always the same four until someone dies, and since late November we have had this old guy who always asks for a bedpan. Once the curtains have gone around the noises and smell are like something you would expect in a zoo. The two ladies in the ward, along with myself, have begun referring to him as Zooboy when he is not there. :eek:
     
  13. wally war eagle

    wally war eagle Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    skunk, gorilla, maned wolf, binturong
     
  14. zlyssa2

    zlyssa2 Active Member

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    Huh, so his poop smells like that of an animal? What's the difference between human poop smell and generic "animal poop" smell? xD
     
  15. Great Argus

    Great Argus Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Twice, by California Kingsnakes. Pretty pungent, but didn't get large amounts either time. But the hands sure smell for some time after.

    Vulture vomit ranks pretty well up there too in terms of smell.
     
  16. Welsh Zootographer

    Welsh Zootographer Well-Known Member

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    Nothing, man is an animal...
     
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  17. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    But animals are so nice!
     
  18. zlyssa2

    zlyssa2 Active Member

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    What would you describe the musk as smelling like?

    And I've heard of vulture puke! How much worse is it than human puke?
     
  19. Great Argus

    Great Argus Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Not sure how to describe it... Kind of smells like skunk, but not quite the same. Little more earthy and feces is the best I got.

    Far as vulture vomit, depends on a couple of factors in my opinion. Mainly what the food was and how much. Though I consider vulture to generally be worse in smell potency. (Also, only speaking from experience with one species, Turkey Vulture.) Last occurrence I recall was the vulture regurgitated a reasonably sized amount of beef heart that had been about a 1/3 digested. I didn't realize it had even happened till suddenly the smell hit me, and it was pretty bad. The exhibit is fully open air, but even so it was pretty close on my tolerance, and I'm generally not too affected by bad smells. After a meal of rodents I think the smell is somewhat worse.
     
  20. zlyssa2

    zlyssa2 Active Member

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    Ah ok. But it's definitely worse than human vomit?
     
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