News Animals

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

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

By Erin Garcia de Jesús

- More than 2 years ago

A female giraffe has a great Valentine’s Day gift for potential mates: urine.