L~is for Llama

Well y'all knew 'L' would be Llamas, didn't you? lol! And I'm combining today's post with one of my favorite venues, Sky Watch Friday! These are our two llamas and my neighbor's horses. In this picture it's almost difficult to focus on the sky with all the critter activity going on. But you can see just how blue and beautiful our skies are here in New Mexico. For more beautiful skies, visit Sky Watch Friday!

Many horses are fearful of llamas. Llamas are often used as obstacles in Trail Challenge Trials for horses. Only the bravest are able to walk close by a llama.
These two equine weren't too brave, at first. Our llamas, Cataleya and Catlinite, couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about. Eventually, the two horses got braver and their was alot of sniffing and snorting.
And nuzzling and smooching by my female llama and this handsome fella.
I was ready to suggest that they 'get a room'. It was getting kind of hot and heavy. lol!
Llamas are mostly fearless and very curious. They tend to be aloof and independant and like to do things their own way.
The llama (Lama glama) is a South American camelid, widely used as a pack animal by the Incas and natives of the Andes mountains. In South America llamas are still used as beasts of burden, as well as for the production of fiber and meat.

The height of a full-grown, full-size llama can be 6 feet tall at the top of the head. They can weigh as much as 450 pounds. A baby llama, called a cria usually weighs about 25 lbs. Llamas are very social animals and like to live with other llamas as a herd. The fiber produced by a llama is very soft and is naturally lanolin free. Llamas are intelligent and can learn simple tasks after a few repetitions. When using a pack, llamas can carry about 25%–30% of their body weight. They are also very gentle with children and seem to enjoy being around them. Llamas which are well-socialized and trained to halter and lead after weaning are very friendly and pleasant to be around. They are extremely curious and most will approach people easily. However, llamas who are bottle-fed, over-socialised and over-handled as youngsters will become extremely difficult to handle when mature, when they will begin to treat humans as they treat each other, which is characterized by bouts of spitting, kicking and neck wrestling. This is called this 'Berserk Male Syndrome', because it is most common in male llamas that have been handled too much by humans as a cria.
But when raised correctly, spitting at a human is a rare thing. Llamas do sometimes spit at each other as a way of disciplining lower-ranked llamas. Llamas will often hum to each other as a form of communication. Llamas are especially very curious about anything new that enters into their territory.
The sound of the llama making groaning noises or going "mwa" is often a sign of fear or anger. If a llama is agitated, it will lay its ears back. One may determine how agitated the llama is by the materials in the spit. The more irritated the llama is, the further back into each of the three stomach compartments it will try to draw materials from for its spit.
I've only been spat on once by Cataleya, when I annoyed her by brushing her too long. It was an "Immediate Shower Moment" to say the least. Ewww! Here are my two curious happy llamas.
Llamas are fun to take for a walk because they don't pull, push and aren't spooky.
They happily carry water and trail mix while out Llama Trekking and are easy for a child to walk.
Llamas have an unusual reproductive cycle for a large animal. Female llamas are induced ovulators. Through the act of mating, the female releases an egg and is often fertilized on the first attempt. Female llamas do not go into "heat" or have an estrus cycle. Llamas mate with the female in a kush (lying down) position.

An "orgle" is the mating sound of a llama or alpaca, made by the sexually aroused male. The sound is reminiscent of gargling, but with a more forceful, buzzing edge. Males begin the sound when they become aroused and continue throughout the act of procreation — from 15 minutes to more than an hour!
No mating here, just kushing. Our llamas are half brother and sister and our male is a gelding.
Llamas are very calming creatures and are often used as therapy animals as well as to calm down horses. When our llamas take a nap, we can count on our goats and sheep to take a snooze, too.
Llamas are successfully being used as guard animals for herds of sheep, goats, alpacas and other livestock throughout North America. Protection of the herd and easy maintenance are the two most commonly cited advantages. Many sheep and goat producers indicate a special bond quickly develops between lambs and their guard llama and that the llama is particularly protective of the lambs.

When defending against predators, llamas tend to make loud braying/gurgling noises, spit, snake their necks as they chase the predator (usually coyotes) and then if they have to, they use their sharp toe claws while rearing up to stab at and injure the predator. They can be quite formidable!

Using llamas as guards has eliminated the losses to predators for many producers. The value of the livestock saved each year more than exceeds the purchase cost and annual care of a llama. Although not every llama is suited to the job, most llamas are a viable, non-lethal alternative for reducing predation, requiring no training and little care. Llamas are very photogenic, too. Not only are they easy to take photos of, most llamas love to have their photos taken.
Llamas can be registered through the International Llama Registry as our two llamas are. It's fascinating seeing how many generations back your llamas go in history. Catlinite is a direct descendant of llamas from Chile and Peru.
Llamas are also fun to take to shows and State and County Fairs. Catlinite and Cataleya have won quite a few ribbons before they came to live at our little ranch.
It is our desire to show them ourselves in the future, too. Catlinite is already 4 years old and Cataleya is only 2 years old, so they are both young enough to show, travel, trek and enjoy for many years to come. Llamas can live 15-25 years.
Isn't Catlinite one handsome fella?
And Cataleya is quite the looker, too. I think. She has the softest fiber. It's been tested at 23 microns. A llama has an oddly pleasing grass-aroma breath, very different than horse breath. And a llama nose is so soft and velvety.
The gestation period of a llama is 350 days. Dams (female llamas) do not lick off their babies, as they have an attached tongue which does not reach outside of the mouth more than half an inch. Rather, they will nuzzle and hum to their newborns.

I've always thought that horse eyes were so beautiful. And they are. But llama eyes are so expressive, soft, inquisitive and lovely. I enjoy admiring my llamas every day. They are so unique and interesting.
Technically llama fiber is not wool, as it is hollow with a structure of diagonal 'walls' which makes it strong, light and good insulation. Wool as a word by itself refers to sheep fiber. However, llama fiber is commonly referred to as llama wool or llama fiber. I will be shearing both of my llamas next Spring, and I can't wait to spin my own llama yarn to knit with.

Here is a chart showing average diameter of some of the finest, natural fibers:
(micrometres)
Vicuña 6 – 10
Alpaca (Suri) 10 - 15
Muskox (Qivlut) 11 - 13
Merino 12 - 20
Angora Rabbit 13
Cashmere 15 - 19
Yak Down 15 - 19
Camel Down 16 - 25
Guanaco 16 - 18
*Llama (Tapada) 20 - 30
Chinchilla 21
Mohair 25 - 45
Alpaca (Huacaya) 27.7
Llama (Ccara) 30 - 40

I can't imagine not having our llamas. I fell in love with llamas as a child after having read about and seen the Push-Me-Pull-Me on Dr Doolittle. I have a love for unique and special animals, and llamas, with their elegance and gracefulness and comical expressions, fit the bill. Our llamas were the first critters to arrive on Laughing Orca Ranch.