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Dik dik with hairdo

Photographed by Massimiliano Abboretti

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Deep within the vast forests of eastern Asia, a strange herbivore can be spotted amongst the underbrush. It is best not to approach it, or it will use its most unique characteristic to this perceived attacker: chemical weaponry.

This is the Six-eyed Stinker (Sputtonasus sexophtalmus), a member of the Odorophtalmines, or "Stinkeyes", a group of small to medium sized, generally solitary trunked herbivores descendants of dik-diks that have evolved very specialised preorbital glands, able to not only secrete but spray its secretions forwards. This is often used to repel potential predators, as these secretions are often foul smelling, and predators are overwhelmed by these smells and driven away, allowing the animal to escape.

In the case of the stinkers like S. sexophtalmus however, their secretions not only contain this highly odorous compounds, but they can borrow compounds from the various poisonous plants they like to consume to create a particularly effective cocktail, with the secretion being a highly concentrated mix of these compounds, being able to cause severe skin burns and rashes, necrosis or even the death of the organism depending on the type of compound used and where it lands.

It is a very energetically expensive product however, so to avoid having to use it as frequently, this group of animals often have highly aposematic patterns, very different from other underbrush herbivores. In the case of S. sexophtalmus, it not only has a bold black and white patterning, but it can use skin muscles to reveal four patches of skin and bright yellow fur underneath that resemble eyes, giving it its name.