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 |