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Licking is the action of passing the tongue over a surface, typically either to deposit saliva onto the surface, or to collect liquid, food or minerals onto the tongue for ingestion, or to communicate with other animals. Many animals both groom themselves, Eating or drinking by licking.
Mammals typically lick their offspring clean immediately after birth; in many species this is necessary to free the newborn from the amniotic sac. The licking not only cleans and dries the offspring's fur, but also stimulates its and digestion processes. Canidae also stimulate their pups to urination by licking their preputial gland secretions.
Food and water acquisition: are often said to "sip" nectar, but in fact they up nectar on their long tongues. Their tongues have fringed edges, which help both in nectar-eating and in catching tiny insects. Mother hummingbirds also lick their chicks after a rainstorm to dry them by licking water droplets from the coats of the chicks to avoid them chilling. Many animals drink by licking. While young mammals drink milk from their mothers' teats by suction, the typical method of drinking for adult mammals involves dipping the tongue repeatedly into water and using it to scoop water into the mouth. This method of drinking relies in part on the water adhering to the surface of the tongue and in part on muscular control of the tongue to form it into a shape. Cattle, horses and other animals lick Mineral lick to obtain mineral nutrients.
Gustation: Animals also use their tongues to enhance their sense of olfaction. By licking a surface or extending the tongue beyond the mouth, molecules are transferred via the tongue to the olfactory receptors in the nose and in some animals, to the vomeronasal organ. In some mammals, the tongue is used to "lick" the air during the flehmen response to assist transfer of . Similarly, snakes use smell to track their prey. They smell by using their to collect airborne particles, then passing them to the vomeronasal organ. They keep their tongues constantly in motion, sampling particles from the air, ground, and water, analyzing the chemicals found, and determining the presence of prey or predators in the local environment.
Communication: Dogs and cats use licking both to clean and to show affection among themselves or to humans, typically licking their faces. Many animals use licking as a submissive or appeasement signal in dominance hierarchies.
Thermoregulation: Some animals use licking to cool themselves. Cats do not sweating the way humans do and the saliva deposited by licking provides a similar means of evaporative cooling.Cats and Kittens Magazine, Frequently Asked Cat Questions: Behavior . URL visited 8 April 2006. Some animals spread saliva over areas of the body with little or no fur to maximise heat loss. For example, lick their wrists and lick their testicles.
Mating behavior: Male mammals often lick the genitals of females before copulation. Post-copulatory genital grooming often occurs in male rats and prosimian primates. This behavior may prevent disease transmission.
Nonetheless, licking does play a role for humans. Even though humans cannot effectively drink water by licking, the human tongue is quite sufficient for licking more viscous fluids. Some foods are sold in a form intended to be consumed mainly by licking, e.g. ice cream cones and . Though useful, in some cultures it is considered improper table manners to clean one's fingers by licking during a meal.
Some people in the Afar people tribe of Ethiopia have been reported to have used their tongues to lick other humans, as a way of cleaning them from the dust that accumulates on them in a very water-scarce region. African People & Culture. africaguide.com.
Humans use licking for a number of other purposes. For example, licking can moisten the adhesive surfaces of postage stamp or . Many people lick a fingertip (usually that of the index finger) for some extra grip when turning a page, taking a sheet of paper from the top of a pile or opening a plastic bag. In sewing, yarn ends are commonly wet by licking to make the stick together and thus make threading them through the eye of a sewing needle easier. Another practice considered uncivilized is licking one's hand and using it to groom one's hair.
Humans also use their tongues for sexual purposes, such as during cunnilingus, anilingus, fellatio, breast licking, Foot fetishism, and whilst , where two people lick each other's tongues.
Animals in captivity sometimes develop a licking stereotypy during which surfaces (walls, bars, gates, etc.) are repeatedly licked for no apparent reason. This has been observed in captive giraffes and camels.Video of a giraffe licking wall
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