Camels possess many unique adaptations for thriving in harsh desert environments. Their behavior often sparks curiosity, especially the sight of something pink and fleshy emerging from their mouths. This unusual display is frequently misunderstood, leading to misconceptions about camels “spitting out an organ” or even their stomach. The reality reveals a fascinating aspect of camel biology and social interaction.
The “Organ” Revealed
The pink, balloon-like, fleshy object a camel protrudes from its mouth is not an internal organ like a stomach or heart. It is a specialized part of its soft palate called the “dulla,” also known as the palatal diverticulum. This inflatable extension is located at the back of the camel’s mouth. While both male and female camels possess a dulla, it is more developed and prominent in adult males.
When a camel displays its dulla, it inflates this sac with air by contracting muscles in its soft palate, forcing expired air into the diverticulum. This causes the dulla to swell and protrude from the side of the mouth, appearing as a large, pink, swollen mass. The dulla has a pleated appearance when not inflated, but is highly expandable due to its composition of loose connective tissue, mucous glands, and lymphoid nodules. This allows it to achieve its notable size and shape during display.
Reasons Behind the Behavior
The primary reason male camels display their dulla is for mating and social dominance, particularly during the rutting season. During this period, male camels experience a surge in testosterone, becoming more aggressive. The dulla serves as a visual and auditory courtship ritual to attract females and assert superiority over other males.
The size and frequency of the dulla display can signal a male’s health and vitality, making him more attractive to potential mates. Along with the visual display, camels often produce deep, gurgling sounds by vibrating the dulla. This combination of visual and auditory cues demonstrates the male’s readiness to mate and his dominance within the herd. While primarily a mating display, the dulla can also be protruded as a warning sign or in defense when a camel feels threatened, though this is less common.
Beyond Typical Regurgitation
It is important to distinguish the dulla display from actual regurgitation or vomiting. Camels, like other ruminants, can bring up cud from their four-chambered stomachs to re-chew it, a normal part of their digestive process. They can also expel a foul-smelling mixture of stomach contents and saliva as a defensive mechanism when feeling threatened.
However, the dulla display is a controlled, behavioral action involving the inflation of a specific anatomical structure, not an expulsion of digested material. The dulla itself is not a sign of illness or digestive upset. It is a deliberate act, primarily by male camels, serving specific communicative functions related to reproduction and social hierarchy, rather than an involuntary bodily function.