Spitting is the act of forcibly ejecting saliva or other substances from the mouth. It is a behavior exhibited by many animal species for various purposes. In this article, we will explore spitting across the animal kingdom – which creatures spit, why they do it, and how they are adapted for this ability.
What is spitting?
Spitting refers to the forceful expulsion of liquid from an animal’s mouth. It involves contracting the muscles around the oral cavity to build up pressure and then quickly releasing this pressure to eject the liquid at high speed.
The liquid being spat is usually saliva. Saliva contains water, enzymes, and other substances that help digest food. However, some animals may also spit venom, capsaicin, or other defensive substances.
When an animal spits, it usually ejects the liquid in a stream or spray. The speed and force of the ejection varies between species. Spitting allows an animal to project saliva or venom a distance of anywhere from a few inches to several feet.
Spitting serves different functions for different animals. Here are some of the main reasons animals spit:
- Defense – Spitting venom, foul liquids or painful substances can deter predators or rivals.
- Hygiene – Spitting helps clean the mouth and get rid of excess saliva.
- Communication – Some social animals spit to send visual signals or mark territory.
- Prey capture – Spitting sticky or slimy saliva can help immobilize prey.
- Cooling – Spitting water or saliva provides evaporative cooling.
Additionally, some animals accidentally spit when they forcefully exhale air. For example, camels spit when they snort, but they do not deliberately spit at things.
Animals That Spit Venom
One of the most common reasons animals spit is to deliver venom to predators or prey. Venom is a toxic substance that many animals produce to subdue enemies for defense or hunting.
Here are some of the most notorious venom spitters in the animal kingdom:
Spitting Cobras
Cobras are a type of venomous snake known for their ability to spit venom. There are several species of spitting cobras in Africa and Asia, including:
- Mozambique spitting cobra
- Black-necked spitting cobra
- Red spitting cobra
- Many-banded spitting cobra
These snakes can project their venom up to 8 feet. The venom irritates the eyes and skin, temporarily blinding and incapacitating enemies.
Gila Monster
The Gila monster is a venomous lizard native to the southwestern United States. It produces venom in glands in its lower jaw. When threatened, the Gila monster may spit venom up to 6 feet.
Spitting Spider
The spitting spider is found worldwide, especially in warm climates. It spits venom from its fangs to paralyze and kill small prey insects.
Animals That Spit for Defense
In addition to venom, some animals spit foul-tasting, stinky, or painful substances when threatened. These include:
Alpaca
Alpacas spit when they feel threatened or establish dominance. Male alpacas sometimes spit at each other before fighting over females.
Llama
Like their close camelid relatives, llamas also spit when angry. They produce a green, grassy-smelling cud from one of their stomach compartments and project it with force.
Camel
Camels spit when they feel provoked or want to establish dominance. They do not deliberately spit at particular targets but may accidentally spit on aggressors in close range.
Skunk
Skunks are well known for spraying an oily, pungent musk from their anal glands when threatened. Some species can spray this musk up to 10 feet.
Animals That Spit for Hunting
Spitting sticky or slimy saliva is an effective way for some animals to immobilize prey before eating it. Animals that spit to help catch prey include:
Archerfish
Archerfish spit water to knock insects and other small prey into the water. They aim by pressing their tongue against a groove in the roof of their mouth.
Llama Spit Facts
- Llamas only spit when angry or threatened
- Their spit is green and grassy-smelling
- They bring up cud from their first stomach compartment to spit
- Llamas aim their spit at whatever is threatening them
- Getting spit on is a sign you’ve provoked the llama
- Baby llamas can start spitting within a few weeks of being born
- Male llamas sometimes spit during fights over females
- A llama’s spit can fly up to 10 feet
- Llama spit is slimy and can stick to you
- There’s no evidence llama spit transmits disease
Spitting Spider Hunting Facts
- Spitting spiders immobilize prey by spitting venom
- Their venom contains neurotoxins and enzymes to start digesting prey
- They have excellent aim over distances up to 40 times their body length
- Venom spat by the spider solidifies quickly into an elastic strand
- The strand sticks to prey and wraps them in a net of venom
- Once prey is immobilized, the spider goes to bite and feed
- Spitting spiders hunt small insects, especially flies
- Younger spiders spit proportionally further compared to their size
- Spitting spiders are found worldwide, especially in warm regions
Frogs
Frogs like the tungara frog and Cuban tree frog produce sticky saliva that adheres to prey. When hunting, they spit this saliva at insects to immobilize them.
Animals That Spit for Social Reasons
In addition to defense and hunting, some social animals spit to communicate with others of their species. Examples include:
Llama
Male llamas frequently spit during fights over female mates. This establishes dominance and can win over females.
Alpaca
Like llamas, male alpacas spit when competing for females. Their spit fights help determine the dominant males.
Camel
Camels establish hierarchy by spitting at each other. Dominant males spit more often and threaten rivals with their spit.
Prairie Dogs
Prairie dogs use spit marks and “kisses” during social grooming. Their kisses involve quickly spitting and licking each other.
Other Animals That Spit
Here are a few other examples of spitting animals:
Cobra Spit Uses
- Defense – spitting cobras spit venom to deter predators
- Irritation – venom causes pain and blinds the target temporarily
- Distance – venom can be spat over 8 feet away
- Accuracy – cobras are extremely accurate spitters
- Mouth aim – they aim by positioning their mouths in the target’s direction
- Emergency use – cobras only spit when threatened as a last resort
- Refill – their venom glands quickly refill after spitting
- Muscles – strong muscles around the venom gland control spitting
- No chewing – squeezing the gland spits venom, no chewing needed
- Deterrent – even if they miss, spitting deters predators and threats
Zebras
Zebras don’t deliberately spit, but splatter saliva while eating or grazing.
Tasmanian Devils
Tasmanian devils spit when aggressively defending carcasses. Their spit helps keep enemies away.
Horses
Horses aren’t spitters by nature. But they can learn to spit on command when trained.
Dromedary Camels
Dromedaries don’t deliberately spit at specific targets but do spit cud while chewing. This is often accidental.
Animals That Can’t Spit
While spitting is common in the animal kingdom, most species do not have this ability. Animals that cannot spit include:
- Dogs
- Cats
- Cows
- Pigs
- Sheep
- Goats
- Deer
- Rodents like mice, squirrels and porcupines
- Primates like monkeys, apes and lemurs
- Elephants
- Giraffes
- Hippos
- Kangaroos and wallabies
- Koalas
- Giant pandas
- Whales
- Seals
These animals either lack the oral muscles to spit forcefully or have no biological need for spitting. However, some may splatter saliva accidentally while chewing or grazing.
Why Don’t Humans Spit?
Humans have the physical ability to spit, but generally do not to the same extent as other animals. There are a few reasons for this:
- Spitting is seen as unhygienic and rude in most human cultures
- Humans don’t need venom or sticky saliva to hunt
- Our main predators are other humans who are not deterred by spit
- We have sophisticated language for communication, not needing spit marks
- Upright posture makes spitting less effective – gravity causes spit to fall down quickly
However, humans do sometimes spit for various reasons including clearing the mouth, unintentionally spitting while talking, or spitting to show contempt. But overall, constant spitting behavior is far less common in people compared to many animals.
Conclusion
In summary, spitting is surprisingly widespread in the animal kingdom. Animals spit for defense, hunting, social signaling, and hygiene. Venom spitters like cobras can spit defensively with great accuracy. Llamas and camels use spit socially to establish dominance. Frogs and spiders immobilize prey with sticky spit. However, most mammals including dogs, cats, cows, and hippos cannot spit at all.
Spitting allows certain creatures to repel enemies, catch food, and communicate in unique ways. Next time you see an alpaca or camel spit, remember they are simply using one of nature’s ingenious adaptations – the ability to weaponize saliva and turn the mouth into a projectile launcher!