Why a camel spits

The ability of a camel to spit is known even to children, it has been repeatedly played out in the movies, and some have had to deal with it in real life. Scientists have figured out why nature gave the camel such a skill.

How a camel lives

Can you not drink for two weeks?

A camel is a ruminant mammal that eats grass. The animal comes in two species, with one and two humps, respectively. Both species have adapted well to life in dry and hot climates. Special mention should be made of the camel’s unique digestive system, which easily tolerates both food shortages and adverse conditions. A camel can drink up to 7 buckets of water at a time, which then will be so economically consumed by the body that it is enough for 2 weeks.

Due to the absence of mucous in the digestive tract, the animal safely eats dry thorns and digests them. But since the digestive process in camels is continuous, the chewed food is regurgitated many times and mixed in the mouth with saliva and leftover digestive juices. All of this forms a kind of “gum,” which the camel is constantly chewing. This mass is quite unpleasant and stinky.

Why a camel spits

Camels spit up most often during the mating season.

If the “gum” produced in the camel’s mouth is too big, he can easily spit it out. At this moment, he is not aiming at anyone, but just getting rid of the excessive food lump. Another thing is if the camel has a target that, for certain reasons, he would like to hit with his “gum”. What is the most interesting – it will definitely hit, there is little chance that the camel “misses”, as these animals have amazing accuracy.

The most active “spitting season” of camels occurs during the mating season. It usually takes place in winter, and camels that have reached maturity, i.e. 3-5 years old, take part in “games”. At this time, the animal is quite aggressive and easily aroused. Males compete for females by inflating huge drool bubbles, while they fight, bite and, of course, spit.

“Stay back – I’ll spit!”

Tourists should behave more discreetly in the presence of a camel

In addition to the mating season, a camel can also actively spit in self-defense, as well as defending their cubs. In the natural environment, the camel has almost no enemies except wolves, which can attack camel cubs. And a well-aimed stinking spit is very effective in defense – a predator that was not expecting such a turn, loses its orientation and then camels themselves attack it, biting and trampling with their legs.

The camel does not spit at people very often, because it is a domesticated animal, which means it is in constant contact with humans. Camels are strongly attached to their owners and tend to obey them, so spitting at their owners would be strange, to say the least. But there is a category of people who from time to time dignify a camel’s spit: these are tourists. Too loud or aggressive behavior doesn’t please the animal, and if they shout or make threatening gestures, or tease the camel, most likely, they will be spat upon. By the way, spit mixed with food burps adheres very well and is difficult to wash off. And the volume of spit is such that it can cover the upper part of the human torso.