Why do llamas spit at people

A female uses this behavior to tell a male she's not interested in his advances, and both genders use it to keep competitors away from food. Spitting is also used to warn an aggressor away. Some llamas and alpacas are just crabbier than others and spit with little provocation. But, most of them usually give fair warning before unloading the full arsenal. And it makes a little "pfffffpth" noise. If the offending party doesn't get the hint and back off, the llama or alpaca will regurgitate its stomach contents and spit it up to feet away.

The animals' moment of victory is brief, however, because the gastric goo isn't pleasant for them, either. They'll actually sit there with their mouths hanging open and they'll take their ears to half-mast," says Williamson. So their mouth's hanging open, there's green stuff falling out, and they just look like somebody washed their mouth out with soap.

If you watch closely, you can see this play out. In a herd there are a few reasons that llamas may spit at each other. This is a normal behavior for them and is not something that you should be worried about.

Do not try to break up a spitting bout between llamas. If you do, the most likely thing to happen is that you will get spit on as well. While this does not involve llamas spitting at each other, a llama will also spit when threatened by a predator. Many times the foul smell is enough to drive off any threats. Many times llamas see humans as part of their herd and the same herd dynamics can play out between llamas and their owners.

In these situations, a llama may spit to express its displeasure or annoyance, and it is up to the human to figure out what is wrong. If raised correctly, llamas are unlikely to spit at humans unless they feel directly threatened. You should always take a few minutes and examine the situation if your llama is spitting at you. Once you understand what is causing the problem, you can generally take steps to stop it. You would think the answer to that is simple, after all spit is spit right?

Not so when it comes to llama spit. That is because llamas will moderate how they spit and what is in the spit depending on the level of threat or irritation the feel. When a llama decides they are going to spit at you they are always very accurate.

In addition, they can spit over a distance of about 10 to 15 feet. So if you feel that a llama is going to spit at you or if you are trying to break up a spitting match, stay on your guard because they can and will hit you.

If you want to stop a llama from spitting, it helps to understand the things that can cause this type of behavior. Spitting does not happen out of the blue, and if you look hard enough you should be able to figure out what is causing this problem.

To start, there are nearly always signs to watch out for if you think a llama is going to spit on you. First a llama will pull its ears back flat against its head. Then it will then stare directly at you. Finally, if a llama raises its chin and begins to gurgle, it is time to get out of the way. Why do llamas spit? Do you want to see live llamas? You can join us on one of our La Paz to Uyuni tours via Sajama! Your Cart. Blog - Banjo tours Why do llamas spit?

Why do llamas spit? Llamas and alpacas are such cute animals! But they may surprise you when you less expect by spitting right in your face. You may be wondering, why do llamas spit? And we have the answer for you. Beth Gomez:.