Muzzle (anatomy)

2021-03-23T07:33:27Z

2001:8003:E10C:9A00:3571:42B8:3715:11F6: /* Purpose and function */

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[[File:Cocker spaniel.jpg|right|thumb|225px|A Cocker Spaniel's extended snout]]
[[File:Panthera leo Kruger Skull.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Panther's skull showing enlarged nose aperture and extended jaw and row of [[carnivore]] teeth]]

A '''muzzle''', also known as a '''snout''', is a protruding part of an [[animal]]'s face that includes the nasal cavity, nose, jaw, and mouth, in the same relative region where the [[human]]'s counterparts are located.

== Purpose and function ==

The primary reason a muzzle is extended for this is the extension of the nasal cavity, which provides for an extremely acute sense of [[W:Olfaction|smell]]. A tangential benefit is the extension of the jaw, allowing for more teeth (and more specialized teeth) in a single species. dogggyyyyy

Most [[mammal]]s have [[wikipedia:Vibrissae|vibrissae]], or sinus hairs (named for the blood filled sinus surrounding the follicle, which provides their sensitivity), colloquially known as ''whiskers,'' on various locations on the face and body; the end of the muzzle is the primary location for them, where they are called mystacial vibrissae. Their primary function is mediating tactile sense, used to navigate and to identify objects,<ref name="PsychToday">[https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201109/why-do-dogs-have-whiskers "Why Do Dogs Have Whiskers?"] - article in ''Psychology Today''. Retrieved February 5, 2017.</ref> but they can also have social uses, as in [[rat]]s.<ref name="RatBehavior">[http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatWhiskers.htm "The world through a rat's whiskers"] - RatBehavior.org. Retrieved February 5, 2017.</ref> Loss of the whiskers can disorient an animal,<ref name="PsychToday" /><ref name="RatBehavior" /> and plucking them can cause discomfort.<ref>[http://www.vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker/how-dog-and-cat-whiskers-work "How Dog and Cat Whiskers Work"] - VetStreet. Retrieved February 5, 2017.</ref>

[[Canine]]s have the longest proportional muzzle, followed by [[feline]]s and [[mustelid]]s.{{fact}} [[Equine]]s' "muzzles" are technically very short, although the entirety of their extended skulls are considered to be part of the muzzle.

== Muzzles and furry ==

A common problem in [[furgonomics]] is how to deal with the issues of having a muzzle; for example, how a [[character]]'s [[anthropomorphic]] muzzle may alter [[W:Facial expression|facial expressions]] or [[W:Speech|speech]] in relation to similar Human traits (i.e. Humanoid mouth motor functions such as whisling, lips' muscle expressions, such as puckering, frowning, etc), or how the muzzle's larger cranial (extended) [[W:Bone|bone]] mass may work in relation to normal Human gear or vestments (helmets, masks, etc,...).

== See also ==

* [[W:Muzzle|Muzzle]] on [[Wikipedia]]

== References ==
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[[Category:Anatomy terms]]

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Muzzle (anatomy)