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You Stink!

I understand that teachers are trying to get students to think outside the box and when I saw this assignment come home in the backpack, it made me laugh. It was titled “You Stink” and the student was suppose to find 5 examples of animals that stink and they have never seen before. I thought it was an interesting assignment. So I went on a little search of my own to see if I could find any animals that I had never seen that stink.

I found one that I have never seen and probably never will as they are not native to my home.  I did find the reason for their foul odor seem like a sensible reason. So here is a bit of what I learned.

The Wood Hoopoe is a birth that is found in sub-Saharan Africa. It has brightly colored feathers and as you can see from the picture is quite attractive. The female comes equipped with an uropygial gland. This is the gland that produces the smell that has been described as smelling like rotting meat and worse than rotten eggs.  Why would a bird need that scent? It serves two purposes. It attracts insects for the mother bird to eat and keeps predators away from the nest. It’s the stinky perfume of a caring mother wood hoopoe.

  • Question of

    Have you ever heard of a Wood Hoopoe?

    • Yes
    • No
  • Question of

    Can you think of a stinky animal you have never seen?

    • Yes
    • No
  • Question of

    Do you want more posts about stinky animals?

    • Yes
    • No

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Written by Ghostwriter

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