Mmm. . .What’s That Smell?

By Hannah Schardt; Art by Dave Coverly

You’ll probably never get close enough to most wild animals to sniff them. But some people who have gotten a whiff of THESE animals say they smell positively delicious!

beaver art by Dave Coverly

Some people think beavers smell like vanilla. With those big, strong front teeth, a beaver could gnaw through an ice cream cone in no time.

bee art by Dave Coverly

Now THIS is bananas: Honey bees smell like. . .well, can you guess? (It IS bananas!)

copperhead snake art by Dave Coverly

Keep your distance—these snakes are venomous. But many people who’ve gotten too close to copperheads say the snakes smell like cucumbers.

frog art by Dave Coverly

Spadefoot toads smell like peanut butter. Now, if only there were a toad that smelled like jelly. . . .

 

Citronella ants smell like lemon. (But don’t even THINK about making lemonade with them.)
kakapo art by Dave CoverlyA flightless parrot called the kakapo (KAH-kuh-poh) smells like honey. Sweet!
A binturong (BIN-too-rong) smells like buttered popcorn. But this part might make you lose your appetite: The scent comes from its urine, or pee!
millipede art by Dave Coverly Yellow-spotted millipedes smell like cherry cola. The scented stuff they ooze when threatened may smell nice, but it’s poisonous to birds and other small predators.

Don’t believe an animal could really smell like food? The next time you’re hanging out with a dog, give one of its paws a sniff. Some people think dog paws smell like corn chips!

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