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Grimace


Grimace
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter Thomas (FunkyMunky) Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 27 W: 0 N: 24] (108)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-03-25
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon EOS 400D, Sigma 70-300mm
Exposure: f/20.0, 1/125 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-07-09 6:17
Viewed: 285
Points: 6
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
While visiting the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in March this year, I spotted this male lion exhibiting strange behaviour. It would walk along, stop and scratch at a tuft of grass, look up and grimace, walk on, and repeat the procedure. When I got home I found the following which I would like to share here.

This posting is not about the technical quality of the picture but rather about the reason for the grimacing.

Why do some mammals grimace after scenting something?
(Beat About the Bush (Mammals)- Trevor Carnaby; Jacana Media, 2007. p43-45.

The unusual facial grimace is an exhibition of flehmen, a German word, which describes the action of an animal analysing a scent signal. It is variously reffered to as the flehmen response/ action ore simply just flehming.
It is practised by most hoofed animals and some carnivores. This action causes ducts to open in the mouth and nasal passages, allowing the scent signals (predominantly pheromones) to be transferred to, and analysed by, a special organ called the vomero-nasal organ (or Jacobson’s organ in reptiles), which is situated between the nose and the mouth cavities. The vomero-nasal (VNO) senory channels are distinct from the conventional olfactory channels, having their own organs and neural connections to the brain. Because the VNO is usually situated in a blind sac off the nasal cavity, airborne molecules do not access as readily as they do the ofactory cells. In mammals this is primarily achieved by delivering the pheromones via liquid medium –either saliva after scent inspection or urine itself. This is facilitated by an involuntary pumping action that dilates and constricts the organ walls drawing liquid in for rapid stimuli transfer. It is usually a paired organ enclosed within a bone formed by the vomer bone or cartilage –hence the name. This technique is very useful in decoding important information such as sexual status, dominance, identity and, particularly, the reproductive status of females. Although primarily used as a tool to determine the sexual condition of females, flehmen is often deployed at any strange scent. In many animals, such as elephant, the behaviour is exhibited without any grimacing or other outward clues.
Miss_Piggy, agulec, loot has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hallo Peter
Thanks for the detailed information given with your posting. It is always interesting to read about facts one is not aware of or uncertain of.This male lion surely has a fur coat that many females(humans off course) would be quite jealous of. Wow, and that large teeth the lion are displaying is something to recon with. I like the expression on the face and pose you managed to capture with the lions eyes closed. Thanks for this contribution. It is much appreciated.
Kind regards
Anna

  • Great 
  • agulec (121)
  • [2008-07-09 8:07]

Very nice shot - and thank you for the note as it exactly describes the behavior...

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5649 W: 595 N: 3347] (8903)
  • [2008-08-14 21:12]

Hi Peter

It just shows how the female sex can make males behave like ninnies (chuckle). Clearly this guy was on the trial of some female in oestrous. You have captured this behaviour very well and the supportive notes clearly describe the action and the working of the organs during this process. We often see zebra behaving in the same way as well.

Good work and TFS.
Regards
Loot

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