Rut (mammalian reproduction)

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The rut (from the Latin rugire, meaning "to roar") is the mating season of certain mammals, which includes ungulates such as deer, sheep, camels, goats, pronghorns, bison, giraffes and antelopes, and extends to animals in other groups such as skunks and elephants. The rut is characterized in males by an increase in testosterone, exaggerated sexual dimorphisms, increased aggression, as well as increased interest in females. The males of the species may mark themselves with mud, undergo physiological changes or perform characteristic displays in order to make themselves more visually appealing to the females. Males also use olfaction to entice females to mate using secretions from glands and soaking in their own urine. During the rut (known as the rutting period and in domestic sheep management as tupping), males often rub their antlers or horns on trees or shrubs, fight with each other, wallow in mud or dust, self-anoint, and herd estrus females together. These displays make the male conspicuous...

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