13 Animals That Use Their Sense of Smell to Survive

Here you learn about animals with an amazing sense of smell and all about the smelliest animals in the world!

Although we have lots of sayings about smell, we humans don’t have particularly good noses. But animals do. “He stinks to high heaven!” we hear ourselves say if someone’s forgotten to shower. If we get away with something, we “come up smelling of roses”. Or someone might “smell a rat”.

Skunk - Photo: Debbie Steinhausser/Shutterstock

About the Sense of Smell in Animals

We humans might think we can smell well, but could you smell a chocolate ice cream 3.1 miles (5 km) away? Not a problem for some animals. Other animals are especially ... well, let’s say “skilled” at ... farting. Can you let rip a 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) blend of hot acid?

13. Bombardier Beetle

Category: Big stinker

You have to be especially careful around bombardier beetles. If they get in a fight, they start to run about nervously. They then brandish their “pistol” and shoot horrible acid all around. The beetles produces this in a small bladder, from which it is fed into a kind of gun barrel. Together with other substances, the temperature increases, the pressure increases and it shoots the 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) brew with a bang. It might shoot several times in a row so it’s hidden by the dark, stinky clouds. Where is it going? Back to its territory.

Bombardier Beetle - Photo: Wasan Ritthawon/Shutterstock

12. Grey Kangaroo

Category: Small Stinker

Perfect in the kitchen...? Grey kangaroos have been given the nickname “stinkers” by lots of farmers. Luckily, they “only” smell strongly of curry.

Grey Kangaroo - Photo: Robyn Butler/Shutterstock

11. Hawthorn Shield Bug

Category: Big stinker

The hawthorn shield bug is not toxic, but sends birds into flight with their “perfume”.

Hawthorn Shield Bug - Photo: Jiri Prochazka/Shutterstock

10. Anteater

Category: Big stinker

Ant? Eater? It’s definitely a stinker! Anteaters are considered the skunks of the forest. Their foul-smelling secretions hum four times stronger than that of the skunk.

• Table of Contents:
• Page 1: Bombardier Beetle, Kangaroo, Shield Bug, Anteater
• Page 2: Ladybug, Skung Frog, Skunk, Dwarf Boa, Emperor Moth