I don't care about you, or Why does the camel spit?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:46

Everyone who has been to the zoo approaches the enclosure with camels with extreme caution - no one wants to be spat upon by a humpbacked artiodactyl. Therefore, in order to dispel fears and not turn a pleasant meeting with a cute animal into an incident, you need to understand why the camel spits and whether a person can become its potential “target”.

Saliva as a weapon and a way of self-defense

The camel is far from being a stupid animal, and the animal will not waste precious saliva in the harsh climatic conditions of living, spitting from “nothing to do” right and left. Indeed, in the desert, where water is worth its weight in gold, the loss of saliva will mean the loss of one's own accumulated fluid. The answer to the question of why a camel spits is actually quite simple. In the fight for a female during mating games, all possible ways are used to neutralize and defeat an opponent: hoof strikes, chest pushing, bites with a massive jaw, and, among other things, spitting with viscous and fetid saliva.

The consistency of this liquid is like chewing gum. And often a cameluses it as self-defense against predators. To avoid sad consequences, when a predator enters the field of view of an artiodactyl, a good portion of camel saliva is sent straight into the eyes of the first to blind.

Humpbacked animal in this case gets the advantage in time and can immobilize the predator. To this end, it grabs with its powerful jaw the "spit" enemy, who is trying to clear the muzzle of saliva and restore vision, and throws it 2-3 meters above the ground. And the already landed animal presses to the ground with its massive body, getting out from under which the predator has practically no chance.

The use of saliva in such cases is a completely logical action on the part of a ruminant herbivore - the animal is driven by the principle of survival, and he simply does not want to be killed. But why a camel spits at people is not always clear.

Digestion is to blame?

In fact, a person who behaves absolutely calmly next to this animal can only get a spit from him purely by chance. There is an opinion that he shows his “disregard attitude” because of the peculiarities of his digestion. In the process of chewing, a large amount of saliva accumulates in the mouth of the artiodactyl, the excess of which the camel can get rid of only by spitting it out. And if at that moment a person was nearby, then he can become an involuntary target.

Spit from resentment

Another version of the answer to the question of whya camel spits at people who are harmless to him at first glance - out of resentment. Aggressive behavior towards an animal, such as throwing sticks or stones in its direction, may be regarded by a camel as an act of attack. And the only available way of protection for these animals is just the use of unpleasant and fetid saliva. The same situation can be observed when trying to scare, tease or make grimaces to an animal - it will definitely “revenge”. Therefore, being next to him, it is worth remembering why the camel spits at people and opponents, and offending the animal is highly discouraged.