February 15, 2023, 12:59 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Does she want me, or doesn’t she? This question likely puzzles not only many people but also some animals. Male giraffes have developed a special trick to find out, as the results of a new study show: They sniff the urine of females to determine if they are ready to mate.
Giraffes face challenges when it comes to mating. They don’t have set mating seasons, nor do they engage in courtship. So how do these animals determine when it’s time? Quite simply: The males sniff the females’ urine.
Yes, you read that right. The even-toed ungulates slightly open their mouths and stick out their tongues to detect specific scents. Scientists call this behavior “flehmen”—and it’s not unique to giraffes. Other mammals, including horses, dogs, cats, and elephants, also use this method to detect scents, such as pheromones in the urine of their peers.
Unlike other animals that can simply sniff urine puddles, giraffes have a harder time. “Due to the extreme development of their heads and necks, they don’t risk bending all the way down,” explains Professor Lynette Hart in a press release. Together with her colleague and husband, Benjamin L. Hart, she discovered how male giraffes approach the situation instead. The scientists published their findings in the journal “Animals.”
“Please Urinate Now”
To determine if a female giraffe is sexually receptive and ready to mate, the male nudges the cow with his head and sniffs her genitals. “Please urinate now,” is what the gesture expresses, according to Lynette Hart. If the cow accepts the invitation, she spreads her hind legs and urinates for about five seconds. The bull curls his lip and takes the urine into his mouth.
Lynette and Benjamin Hart observed this behavior on several research trips in Etosha National Park in Namibia. The scientists from the University of California, Davis, studied giraffes near waterholes in the western part of the park.
The Urine Test Involves Smelling and Tasting
During the urine tasting, giraffes both smell and taste. In the mouth of the male giraffe, the scent compounds of the urine pass by the palate—and thus the entrance to the so-called Jacobson’s organ. This body part consists of two indentations on either side of the nasal septum and is used for detecting smells.
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For giraffes, the urine test is “a part of their reproductive behavior,” explained Benjamin Hart. The male must encourage the female to cooperate, his wife adds. “If not, he knows there’s no future with her.”
Also interesting: Liger – the cross between a lion and a tiger
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Since 2016, the Giraffe Has Been on the Red List of Threatened Species
Giraffes are considered the tallest land animals in the world. However, there are significant height differences between the sexes: Bulls are generally much taller than cows.
These even-toed ungulates are, however, threatened with extinction. Over the past 30 years, their population has dramatically declined. In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature placed the Giraffa camelopardalis on the Red List of Threatened Species.
“People love watching giraffes,” said Benjamin Hart. Through studies like this, he hopes to draw more attention to the animals. “I think the more the public learns about giraffes, the more interest they’ll have in their protection.”