Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

17th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Lip-Curl: Bison sniffing a female

During breeding season, you'll often see bison sniffing other individuals followed by the lip curling. This behavior is called the fiehmen response. By curling their lip, they are able to transfer the odors to an organ at the roof of their mouth known as the vomeronsel organ, or jacobson's organ. This helps the male determine whether or not the female is in estrus and ready to be bred.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2019
Photo Location: Wyoming, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Copyright: © Trevor LaClair