Why do camels spit?

Technically speaking, they don't. I know that traditionally, people think of camels and their ability to drink a metric shit ton of water that they can hold for weeks on end, their viability as an transportation alternative to horses, and of course, their ability to spit at something they are threatened by or annoyed with. Unfortunately, most traditional wisdom is wrong, or at least not properly understood. For instance, a camel's hump is not used to store water. Well, not just water. It's fatty tissue, which includes water and other nutrients. This hump, while usually thought of as an upright body part, can sag to the side as the years go by and the camel's health declines, especially in cases of being obesity.

But, that's not what you asked about. You asked about camel spit. Well, for those of you reading this and expecting to hear about the abject nastiness of an animal's biological functions, I have good news and bad news. The bad news for you sick little puppies is that camels do not spit, so the disgusting nature of a large, hairy animal's saliva being hurled at high velocity into someone's face is not concurrent with reality. But, as I said, there is good news for you twisted little freaks, and that good news is so much more disgusting than mere spit. You see, what most people think of as camel spitting, is actually a controlled vomit action.

Yes. Vomit.

Camels are ruminants, and as such, it is a normal process for them to regurgitate their partially digested food so that they can chew it again. This is normal. Cows, sheep, goats and llama llama llamas (sorry, I just love the sound of saying the word "llama" rapidly and repeatedly) all have very complex digestive tracts. After they chew their food for a while, they swallow it and let their first stomach do some of the work. Once most of the liquid is separated out of their food, they bring it back up and chew it some more.

Now, with most ruminants, this is the point at which the cud (that's the second stage food) is swallowed again and for the last time. And to be fair, camels usually do follow this progression. However, camels for some reason or another, have figured out that cud makes a good weapon. When they are threatened or annoyed, they will bring some of their cud up and literally fling it on the offending target. They don't spit it, really, because the act of spitting is something that only a few animals have the cheek and lip muscles to pull off. No, as I said, they just whip their heads from side to side, flinging the cud all over the place, some of which is on their target. Hopefully.

So, yeah. It was disgusting enough to think that these creatures spit in their own defense. But now you know that they don't. And it is so much more hardcore than the rumor. Isn't the truth awesome?

If you have a question for the demon, send it to askthedemon@gmail.com, and remember: never stop asking questions.