Hippomanes

thumb|Hippomanes of a cow Hippomanes (Greek ἱππομανές) are brownish or olive-greenish, elastic formations that arise physiologically in female bovines and equines during pregnancy.

== Formation == The up to fist-sized hippomanes are either attached to the allantois membrane or swim freely in the allantoic fluid. Occasionally such formations also occur in ruminants (cows, sheep, goat) and pigs. Similar formations have also been found in sea-cow, lemur and hippopotamus, but the objects found in the amnion and allantois are distinguishable. This has caused the confusion over the word "hippomanes" in scientific literature, with propositions to use it only for objects found in Equidae pregnancies.