A bull elk sniffs the air to sense whether there are any females in estrus nearby in Yellowstone national Park in Montana

Bull Elk Flehmen Reaction during the Rut

Montana, USA

Here, during the rut, a bull elk samples the air in what's known as a Flehmen response or reaction. He will curl back his upper lip exposing the front teeth, inhaling with the nostrils usually closed, and then often holds this position for several seconds. This helps him determine whether a cow is in estrus and thus ready to mate. A bull will roam from cow to cow to find those that are ready to breed. Along with defending and maintaining a harem, this requires an enormous amount of energy. There is little time for bulls to feed and they will lose about 20 percent of their body weight by the end of the rut. Photo © copyright by Dr. Edward Mikol.

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