Describe the smell of garter snake musk?

[zarfytezz]

I've heard from some people it can be really bad, but have never had the pleasure of smelling it myself. Out of curiosity, what exactly does it smell like?

[Stefan-A]

Like musk. It smells like musk. I haven't yet found another source of that smell, except musk.

[kibakiba]

Imagine mink poop, sour rancid carcass and cat spray. That's what garters in my area smell like when they musk.

[Stefan-A]

Imagine mink poop,

That's musk, too. Not poop.

[kibakiba]

Mink manure. It stinks. Musk is not solid enough to be manure, is it? I mean, my snakes poop is somewhat solid with a till bit of wateriness, their musk, when (if) I get musked, is pure liquid and is clear-ish in colour. Every poop I've seen my ordinoides have... is white and brown, never clear. I've had poop on me enough to know the difference between when they musk or poop. With my concinnus, a certain little girly, who will remain nameless (Snap) musks me sometimes, and its white. Smells a bit less foul than ordinoides.

[guidofatherof5]

It's a very hard smell to describe but once you smell it you'll always know it.
It is unique and special.

[Stefan-A]

Mink manure. It stinks.

Manure usually does. But minks, like many other animals, do have anal glands that secrete a foul-smelling liquid.

Musk is not solid enough to be manure, is it?

Nope, liquid.

[infernalis]

Like musk. It smells like musk. I haven't yet found another source of that smell, except musk.

Could not have said that better.

Once you get used to it, it's not so bad really.

[mb90078]

Speaking of musk, is it possible for a snake to have defective musk? I'm pretty sure one of my garters musked me once shortly after I acquired them, but there was almost no smell whatsoever, but it definitely left a clear liquid...

[Stefan-A]

Speaking of musk, is it possible for a snake to have defective musk?

Yes. There's usually more than one ingredient in most secretions and sometimes one is left out for any number of reasons. It can be a temporary or a permanent condition.