Spitting Images Extra

In issue 14 we bring you seven amazing facts about human spit. Here’s ten even more revolting facts on animal spit.

In issue 14 we bring you seven amazing facts about human spit. Here’s ten even more revolting facts on animal spit...

Vampire bat spit contains a powerful anticoagulant or clot busting agent that is being tested as a treatment for heart disease
Mouse spit contains a protein called nerve growth factor that heals their wounds twice as fast as normal
Male pig’s drool contains a sex hormone that makes them irresistible to the opposite sex. Humans like the smell too, something very close to the hormone is present in musk type perfumes.
People who are allergic to cats are allergic to cat saliva that flakes off the feline’s fur after it dries.
The giant lizards, Komodo dragons of Indonesia have toxic spit. Their saliva contains a cocktail of over 50 different kinds of bacteria, seven are highly dangerous and 4 of which have no known antidote. The huge reptiles bite their prey, then wait a couple of days for the animal to die of the infection.
When a hedgehog runs into a new or interesting smelly plant, it will chew it up into a froth with saliva, and spread it onto its spines. It is believed that this behaviour makes it less attractive to predators.
Snake venoms are a highly modified form of spit and are produced in organs evolved from the salivary glands.
Animals with rabies are not actually drooling because they are producing a lot of saliva, the disease paralyses the throat and prevents them swallowing.
Dogs have few sweat glands and use evaporative cooling of spit to cool down, panting after a long run.
Famous spitters, camels are not really spitting, more like throwing up. They eject the contents of their stomachs complete with plenty of saliva when they feel threatened.