What does 「もつか」 mean in this sentence?

Question

I've been reading a novel and found this sentence.

牛のデカイ後頭部を見下ろしたのもつかの間、頭部と胴体の間から鳩がでてきた.

What does もつか mean here?

Answer 1

You are parsing the phrase incorrectly.

It is 「～～も/つかの間」.

「つかの[間]{ま}」 means a "moment".

「Phrase A + も + つかの間、 + Phrase B」

= "B happens as soon as A happens."

"No sooner had I looked down on the back of the cow's huge head than a pigeon popped out from between its head and body."

(What in the world am I translating in the middle of the night?)