The Taste Test

Male giraffes have an unusual method of determining if a female is ready to mate: they taste her urine. The process is called urine testing and involves the Flehmen response.

Here's how it works: 1. The male approaches a female and nudges or headbutts her rump 2. This stimulates her to urinate 3. The male collects urine in his mouth 4. He curls his upper lip back (the Flehmen response) to expose his vomeronasal organ (Jacobson's organ) 5. This organ analyzes the urine for hormones indicating fertility

If the female is in estrus (heat), the male will begin following and courting her. If not, he moves on to test other females.

Many mammals use the Flehmen response — you may have seen horses or cats curl their lips after smelling something interesting. But giraffes are particularly dedicated to this urine-sampling behavior, and males may test many females before finding one who's ready to mate.

Male giraffes also engage in "necking" — swinging their necks to strike opponents with their heads. These battles establish dominance and access to females. Despite looking elegant, giraffe necking can cause serious injuries.