A snout is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw. The snout is also often called a muzzle. A piece of equipment also called a muzzle can be placed over the snout to prevent the animal from biting or eating, often used before and after horse races (see animal muzzle).

A wet snout nose is called a rhinarium.

Dog's muzzle

Dogs' muzzles range in shape from extremely long and thin (dolichocephalic), as in the Rough Collie to nearly nonexistent because it is so flat (extreme brachycephalic), as in the Pug. Some breeds, such as many sled dogs and Spitz types, have muzzles that somewhat resemble the original wolf's in size and shape, and others in the less extreme range have shortened it somewhat (mesocephalic) as in many hounds. Image:Afghan Hound.jpg|Dolichocephalic Afghan Hound Image:Canis lupus laying.jpg|The wolf head, to which dog heads are compared Image:AmericanCockerSpaniel wb.jpg|Mesocephalic American Cocker Spaniel Image:Tapirus.terrestris.flehmen.jpg|Tapir

It is innervated by one of the twelve pairs of cranial nerves. These nerves start in the brain and emerge through the skull to their target organs. Other destinations of these nerves are eyeballs, teeth and tongue.