Other male lion coalitions from Masai Mara

[Spalea]

Marlon du Toit: " Anyone know what the male lion is up to?

Let me explain, in short.
You’ve all seen these expressive images before, or maybe even have a few yourself. It’s not a form of aggression & certainly not a roar or a snarl.
What’s happening here is very interesting.
In simple terms, this male lion is testing a scent - likely urine - and has the ability to gain very useful information from it.
He is equipped with a Jacobson’s Organ, a chemoreception organ with the ability to process information concealed in chemical signals derived from moisture.
Let’s say a lioness urinated close to a male lion. What the male lion will often do, is walk over to where she urinated, either smell or lick the urine & so the process starts.
He lifts his head high & often backwards (as can he seen in picture) and breathes air inwards & over the entrance of the organ (located on the roof of his mouth). In so doing, he activates the organ & the liquid (in this case urine) will be “processed”. He is then able to tell what the condition of the lioness is & most importantly, if she’s close to estrous. He can then start guarding her from other males & coalition partners, making sure he gets to mate once she if fully ready.
This is likely what this male lion was doing in this picture. "

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