I lost a bet...snake musk?!

[zarfytezz1]

Hello there.

I made a (stupid) bet with a snake-owning friend another day, and lost. As a result, I have to smell the musk of his 5 garter snakes (he ASSURES me they will musk), right up to my nose, for 2 minutes straight.

I'm not even familiar with snake musk...I'm not sure what I was thinking when I made the bet. How bad will it be? I've heard it really stinks...but what exactly is the smell like?

[RedSidedSPR]

It smells like ****.

Absolutely terrible.

This will be a hellish 2 minutes.

You have my pity.

[zarfytezz1]

Ugh...now I'm even more nervous. Thanks for replying though!

I'm sure it doesn't smell "exactly" like "****' though. Is there a better way to describe it? Trying to picture it before I have to do it...

[guidofatherof5]

I think it would be better to forgo the bet and not submit the snake to the stress. Find another way to resolve the bet.

[zarfytezz1]

He assured me that he wouldn't have to be cruel to them to get them to musk.

Have you ever experienced garter musk? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on it.

[guidofatherof5]

Stinks as bad as it tastes(don't ask:D) but nothing like skunk musk.

[RedSidedSPR]

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on it.

You'll wish you were dead.

[zarfytezz1]

You'll wish you were dead.

I hope it's not quite THAT foul. Yikes.

I still can't picture the smell though. Can you describe it?

[RedSidedSPR]

It's indescribable.

[guidofatherof5]

I can't as it is a unique scent. I even find the scent has variety with the different species but once you've smelled it you'll never forget it.:D

[zarfytezz1]

Hmm, alright.

Do you think it's foul enough that smelling it right up to your nose (from 5 different snakes) for 2 minutes straight would be bad enough to make you gag or throw up? Or is it usually not quite that bad.

[RedSidedSPR]

You probably won't throw up.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

That depends on how sensitive you are as a person. You probably are going to hate your life.

[zarfytezz]

That depends on how sensitive you are as a person. You probably are going to hate your life.

Really? How foul is it, in your experience of it?

What exactly does it smell like?

[guidofatherof5]

Why all these questions about the smell of musk when in 2010 you started a thread asking the same thing?
Seems like the questions was answered back then. Here's a link to that thread.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/7778-describe-smell-garter-snake-musk.html

[d_virginiana]

Why all these questions about the smell of musk when in 2010 you started a thread asking the same thing?
Seems like the questions was answered back then. Here's a link to that thread.

Geez, how many bets have you lost? :rolleyes:

[chris-uk]

Bottom line - garter musk is foul, but some species are worse than others. Also, it's not possible to get a garter snake to musk without stressing it... Musk is a defence mechanism used when the snake wants to escape, so your friend is talking crap if he says he can get five to musk without stressing them or being cruel.

As Steve has posted a link back to your previous thread I suggest that you refer to that for descriptions of the smell.

[jwolfe152]

both of mine have musked on my hand and the male smelled worse that the female but it was not bad at all. then again i kinda like skunk musk(not fresh like when driving and you can smell it for a few seconds) and manure doesn't bother me(but dog, cat, or people make me gag for minutes after moving away from it)

[RedSidedSPR]

Why all these questions about the smell of musk when in 2010 you started a thread asking the same thing? http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/7778-describe-smell-garter-snake-musk.html http://i.imgur.com/ItLuD.gif

[d_virginiana]

My 'new' male that I got earlier this year just musked me. We've been working on socialization. Tonight we got to the stage where he flips out, musks, and then decides I'm safe and he can rest on my hand.

My husband had to leave the room.

[jwolfe152]

My 'new' male that I got earlier this year just musked me. We've been working on socialization. Tonight we got to the stage where he flips out, musks, and then decides I'm safe and he can rest on my hand.

My husband had to leave the room.

Ekoh does that most of the time but occasionally he just lays there, now Amaunet has only musked me 2 times, once when i found her and another when Jinx (the cat) jumped up and scared her pretty good (damn cat)

[kerensa]

None of my pets have ever been stressed enough to musk, its not something they do unless they are stressed. I doubt being able to get five to musk without stressing them. Even wild garters have not ever musked on me. Soooo... I do not imagine I want to know what someone is doing to get them to musk.
It is a musk and smells it. I've only ever smelled garter musk second hand, I have smelled fresh black snake musk it's strong ... but isn't as bad as being trapped in a room with someone wearing too much cheap perfume. I actually wouldn't mind having some snake musk. maybe I'll be thinking this rather than "eiw" next time one musks on me.

I do find it odd that you need to ask this question a second time.

Kerensa.

[EasternGirl]

Okay, first...it smells like dead fish or something close to that. Second, it depends on how you are with smells...I am a student nurse and I have smelled some pretty foul stuff...but garter musk usually makes me run and wash my hands. It is not something I would want to smell for two minutes straight...and I am not a gagger...but that might do the trick. Third, some snakes musk just when you pick them up...I have a few that do that...but it is because they are scared. Musking is a defense mechanism. So, holding a scared snake for two minutes would be stressful for the snake. Like others have said...I'm not sure why you keep asking about this...and keep saying that we have not completely described it. It seems to me that you are trying to get us to say something in particular that you want to hear and that may be something crude. If that is the case...there are other places on the internet where you can find what you are looking for...like porn sites. If that is not the case, I apologize, but I would be interested in talking to your friend who wants to stress out his garters for kicks.

[kerensa]

Hmmm. second hand (ie not fresh) I was thinking diisopropanolamine, 2-methyl indole, a touch of skatole, and ethelyne brasselate. which would describe a solidly musk family scent (not all smell pleasant) with a pronounced fishy/aquatic/decay note to it. I'm getting more curious as to what tests would reveal. I think perhaps it has something to do with the diet, I've yet to find a pleasant musk from a fish eating species. Otter was not what I'd describe as pleasant in quantities over 0.0500 % then the scent was still reminded me of diisopropanolamine. Not that I expect either musk to contain that hydro carbon, just that's what they remind me of.... It would be interesting to find out what molecules do create the scent.

K.


Okay, first...it smells like dead fish or something close to that.

[zarfytezz1]

Hmm, interesting. So many people describe the odor so many different ways!

[Foxrun402]

**Cough** Troll **Cough**

;)

[d_virginiana]

Hmm, interesting. So many people describe the odor so many different ways!

This reminds me of a perfume advert.

Of course, if some guy were to wear 'eau de Thamnophis' I'd probably feel an irrepressible urge to cuddle them and feed them fish even though he smelled god-awful.

[jwolfe152]

Of course, if some guy were to wear 'eau de Thamnophis' I'd probably feel an irrepressible urge to cuddle them and feed them fish even though he smelled god-awful.

that is a definite sign of nothing but love for the tham family

has anyone else observed that the bigger the garter the worse the musk smell is? or is it just a coincidence that my two big ones smell worse. maybe the bigger they are the more potent it is or maybe just that the bigger ones have more quantity of musk?

[d_virginiana]

that is a definite sign of nothing but love for the tham family

has anyone else observed that the bigger the garter the worse the musk smell is? or is it just a coincidence that my two big ones smell worse. maybe the bigger they are the more potent it is or maybe just that the bigger ones have more quantity of musk?

I wouldn't know. My larger ones have never musked. It seems like the smaller ones tend to be more excitable, and they're the only ones I've ever been musked by. The larger ones seem content to nip or nose-bump of they're nervous; even wild snakes.

[jwolfe152]

i have only had one of them strike/nip at me, but all 4 of mine are WC, which surprises me that they don't nip/strike all the time. if mine get nervous they mostly just kinda dart their head or start flaying all willy nilly and they rarely musk. im pretty sure that each one has sprayed me with musk only once and that has been when i first grabbed them, but im pretty sure if someone grabbed me up from my home i would piss myself too :eek: lol (i know its not pee ;) thats just what i would do:D)

[Foxrun402]

Suzi doesn't musk me anymore either, they also might be getting used to your scent. Garters have a very acute sense of smell and can often pick up the scent of a mate or trails left behind by other snakes through the pheromones given off by their skin. They might possibly recognize our pheremones and then deem us as trustworthy or friendly. That would result in less musking as they grow and realize your not a threat but yet a source of food and water... and housekeeping lol

I always talk to them when I enter the room to let them be aware of my presence. Maybe they also learn to recognize the vibrations given off by your voice as with each tone there is a different vibe.

[jwolfe152]

yea Ekoh has started to really calm down before when i got close to the top he would flee especially when i talked but he does much better with me now too. it probably helps that i hold each one of them for at least a few mins after they calm down and try to put them back before they get squirmy and want to musk. i figure that handling often for short periods would be better than longer times being held and then they start squirming. thats just my $0.02

[EasternGirl]

Interestingly, my garter that has the worst smelling musk, is one of my babies...Bella, my Oregon Red-Spotted. She is a year old...still very small, but that girl can musk up a room with the worst smell...and she does it every time you pick her up. It's funny, because she is not terribly skiddish. She loves to come up to the glass to look at me...and she will come right over to my hand if I put it in the tank. But pick her up and she freaks out.