They are lovely animals, but why do alpacas and llamas spit? Do they even spit at all?
Well, let’s find out!
Alpacas and llamas do spit! However, because it is rather inconvenient for themselves too, they tend to avoid it and use it only as a last resort. If they really need to, they spit in order to warn agressors away and defend themselves, for example when trying to keep competitors away from their food.
Spit happens!
Let’s find out if they also spit at humans!
Do Alpacas and Llamas Spit at Humans?
No, and yes… Usually, neither alpacas nor llamas spit at humans. The majority of people who claim that alpacas have spit on them were merely in the wrong spot at the wrong moment. Alpacas and llamas spit on each other for several reasons and mostly when they are irritated, but spitting is mostly used as a last resort defense mechanism.
So, unless you cause our fluffy buddies to become exceedingly irritated, which of course you wouldn’t, you are extremely unlikely to become a spitting target. But don’t forget to be cautious near pregnant females or two males arguing over a delectable treat! Spit happens at that moment!
In case alpacas and llamas do spit at humans, there are two “types” of spit they have in their repertoire to demonstrate how angry they are with you. The first “type” of alpaca spit is just air and a small amount of saliva, which is used by them in the majority of cases, usually as a warning shot. If alpacas or llamas continue to be irritated after this initial dose, they pull out the “real” guns. In that case, they will regurgitate their stomach contents and spit it right at you. This “type” of spit is fermented and acidic and it’s no pleasure at all to smell it, neither for you, nor for the alpaca or llama itself.
Funnily, for alpacas and llamas, spitting results in what is called “sour mouth”. Sour mouth is characterized by a loose-hanging lower lip and a gaping mouth. This is caused by the stomach acids and unpleasant taste of the contents as they pass out of the mouth. This is why, after spitting, you will see alpacas or llamas with a hanging mouth and green drool falling out.
So, do alpacas and llamas spit? No, alpacas and llamas don’t spit at humans, unless you give them a reason to do so. Continue to read to find out how you can know when an alpaca or llama will spit.
Alpacas and llamas are often kept in zoos as a means to entertain humans. However, this is not always a nice experience for them. In fact, there are many arguments around the topic of banning zoos. But one thing is for sure, they will probably continue to exist.
How often do Alpacas and Llamas Spit?
There is no general answer to this question. Just as humans, alpacas and llamas are individuals with unique personalities and behaviours. Some of them will simply be easier to irritate than others, which will make them spit more often. If you are dealing with a very docile alpaca or llama, it may even be that it never spits. Whereas, when you are dealing with an especially grumpy alpaca or llama it can happen that it spits everyday.
Though, because of the bad taste of their regurgitated stomach content, alpacas and llamas don’t like to spit and will choose to do so only as a matter of last resort. In fact, they will use other means of communication to show their diregard first before pulling out their spitting weapons.
Why Do Alpacas and Llamas Spit?
As mentioned before, there can be different reasons why alpacas and llamas spit. Actually there are many differences between llamas and alpacas, but the reasons why they spit are the same for both of these funny animals. Through years of observation and research and after collecting information on thousands of data points, we’ve identified 5 reasons why alpacas and llamas spit:
1. Food Competition
Of course, one of the main reasons why alpacas and llamas spit is because of food. Depending on where they live, alpacas and llamas can occasionally be a little aggressive when it comes to food. Food rivalry is common on alpaca and llama farms when their diets are strictly controlled. An alpaca or llama may commonly spit at another at feeding time in an effort to fend them off and get a bigger portion of the food.
Thus, you should never enter an alpaca or llama farm with only one canning jar. Although the surge toward you may be thrilling, before you realize what has happened, you will be encircled and trapped in the crossfire.
2. Females Fending Off Males
Alpacas communicate through body language. This is why, when attempting to get closer to their female friends, male alpacas bear the risk of getting spit on by them. But why would they do that? Well, a female alpaca or llama might not be interested in a male, so by spitting on him, she can show her disinterest. Also, it might be that she’s already impregnated. After getting hit with a few mean spitballs, the males usually get the point.
3. Maintaining Boundaries
Thirdly, another reaon why llamas and alpacas spit is to keep up with internal competion and to maintain their boundaries. So by spitting they basically say: “Up until here, but no more!”
4. Self-Defense
Alpacas and llamas are not very aggressive animals. They’re rather the opposite, as they pose considerably less of a threat than the majority of animals of a similar size. They simply have no other means of defense besides spitting, and they hardly ever utilize their hooves as such.
5. Establishing Dominance in the Herd
Alpacas and llamas are herd animals, however they also like to have some privacy once in a while. An alpaca or llama will most likely get spat on by its herd mates if it doesn’t respect the boundaries of the other alpacas.
Mammals like alpacas and llamas use this kind of spitting to defend one’s territory and demonstrate dominance.
How to Know When Alpacas or Llamas will Spit?
As already mentioned before, alpacas and llamas only spit as a matter of last resort. They tend to give warning signs before they spit, so be careful about how you interact with the environment of alpacas and llamas. Thus, it’s pretty easy to tell when they are going to pull out their spitting guns.
Before they will spit at you or other herd members, alpacas and llamas are going to give the following signs:
- grumbling
- a raised head which stays in the same position for a while
- flattened ears
- loud snorting & humming
- staring eyes which are trying to focus and intimidate you
- stumping
- lowering and craning the neck around without moving the body
- fidgeting and making strange voices in the throat
Though, before firing of the “real” ugly spit bomb, alpacas and llamas usually send a final warning in the form of a “dry spit”. A dry spit is simply the saliva that is already in the alpaca’s mouth, or even just air. You just have a few seconds to retreat if something bad happens after you observe an alpaca releasing a dry spit.
How to Avoid Alpacas or Llamas Spitting at You?
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to limit the risk of getting spit on by alpacas and llamas. Just apply these simple rules, and you won’t get spit on:
- give alpacas and llamas their space and respect their boundaries
- avoid making sudden movements
- earn your alpacas or llamas trust
- avoid deep eye-contact
- get familiar with the personalities of your alpacas or llamas
- don’t get in between the alpaca or llama herd while feeding
- don’t intervene in a conflict between two alpacas or llamas
- watch out for warning signs (mentioned in the previous section)
- be prepared to move quickly
What is Alpaca and Llama Spit?
There are two types of alpacas and llama spit: the warning spit and the disgusting spit.
In most cases, alpacas and llamas will use the warning spit, which is just air with a small amount of saliva.
Though, if alpacas and llamas continue to be irritated or feel threatened, they will regurgitate their stomach contents and spit it out onto their target. Although it is named “spit,” “projectile vomit” might be a better description. The spit that an alpaca produces is fermented, acidic, and typically a grassy, green mass, which has an unpleasant scent.
How Far Do Alpacas and Llamas Spit?
Depending on their size, alpacas and llamas can spit up to 10 feet away if necessary. Whereas the bigger one usually spit more far, reaching those 10 feet, smaller alpacas and llamas are normally constrained to around 7-8 feet while spitting. A general rule of thumb is that alpacas and llamas cannot spit further than a bit more of twice their length.
Is Alpaca and Llama Spit Dangerous?
No, alpaca spit is not dangerous, even not the type that has fermented, acidic, and half-digested stomach contents in it. Though, because of the bad smell, you’ll probably want to change and wash your clothes or take a shower after getting spit on by an alpaca or llama. Just be careful when getting spit in your eyes and apply some eyedrops if necessary. Don’t take offense! And instead of becoming upset when you eventually end up with a green face, try to see the humor in it.
Who Spits More Often Alpacas, Llamas, or Camels?
In general, llamas and alpacas spit similarly, although the amount of spit they produce depends on their size and varies from animal to animal. Some llamas or alpacas spit a lot and are more cheeky than others. Llamas are somewhat bigger than alpacas when compared in size, and they have bigger mouths that can produce more spit than alpacas. Ultimately, it is less common to see alpacas spitting than llamas.
Nevertheless, both alpacas and llamas spit way less frequently compared to camels. This is because camels have no problem spitting even at humans when they are just a bit annoyed. On the other hand, llamas and alpacas only spit when they are in high distress.
Fun fact: Mammals like alpacas, llamas, and camels are used to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as a means to develop nature-based solutions to global warming.
Conclusion
All in all, whereas camels do, neither alpacas nor llamas spit at humans on purpose. They only do so when you irritate them, but they will give warning signs before, so it’s easy to know when you are a target. Tough, alpacas and llamas frequently spit at each other for several reasons, including food competition and self-defense. Ultimately, spitting is an unpleasant experience for themselves too, so they only use it if there is no other alternative to communicate their outrage.
Got interested into alpacas and/or llamas? Then visit them at a zoo nearby.
Here are the best zoos in California.
