Licking's the action of passing the tongue over a surface, typically either to deposit saliva onto the surface or to collect liquid onto the tongue for ingestion or to provide pleasure. Many animals both groom themselves and drink by licking. Licking in animals Licking's a common way for animals to clean themselves. In mammals, licking helps keep the fur clean and untangled. The tongues of many mammals have a rough upper surface that acts like a brush when the animal licks its fur. Certain repti… (More on Licking)