snout

thumb|Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) snout showing [[flehmen]] A snout is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw. In many animals, the structure is called a muzzle, rostrum, beak, trunk or proboscis. The wet furless surface around the nostrils of the nose of many mammals is called the rhinarium (colloquially this is the "cold wet snout" of some mammals). The rhinarium is often associated with a stronger sense of olfaction.

==Variation== thumb|Asian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus). The extended [[proboscis is called the "trunk" and is used for a wide range of purposes, including eating, drinking, exploration, and social grooming.]] Snouts are found on many mammals in a variety of shapes. Some animals, including ursines and great cats, have box-like snouts, while others, like shrews, have pointed snouts. Pig snouts are flat and cylindrical.