Why male giraffes drink potential mates’ pee
Male giraffes stick their tongues in a female’s urine stream to check for pheromones
![a photo of two giraffes where the male (seen from the side) has curled lips and the female (seen from the back) is peeing](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/021323_eg_sex-lives-giraffes_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
A male giraffe curls his lips as part of a “flehmen response” that helps him detect pheromones in a female’s urine. The pheromones signal whether the female is ready to mate or not.
L. Hart/UC Davis