The Llama Thread

[JoeP]

Not sure if this should be in the Sciences forum or in Sexuality (for bcg's benefit) or Philosophy (since bcg, again, appears to view llamas as deities).

Interesting facts about llamas (pbut):

The llama and alpaca are only known in the domestic state.

Males do not become sexually mature until approximately 3 years.

Llamas mate with the female in a kush (lying down) position, which is fairly unusual in a large animal. They mate for an extended period of time (20–45 minutes), also unusual in a large animal.

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.

Llamas should be tested for pregnancy after breeding at 2–3 weeks, 6 weeks, and at least 12 weeks.

• "Spit testing". Bring the potentially pregnant dam to an intact male. If the stud attempts to breed her and she lies down for him within a fairly short period of time, she is not pregnant. If she remains on her feet, spits, attacks him, or otherwise prevents his being able to mate, it is assumed that she is probably pregnant. This test gets its name due to the dam spitting at the male if she is pregnant.
  • However, some hormonal conditions in females can make them reject a male when they are in fact not pregnant, and, more rarely, accept a male when they are pregnant.

When a llama puts their ears back it means they are agitated. They may start to make a clucking noise as if they are bringing up stomach acid. Take caution they do not spit on you. When a llama spits it can be so hard it may bruise the skin.



After spitting, the llama hangs their mouth open ( and can drop their lower lip even more) to 'air out' their mouth from the taste/smell of the spit.

Don't forget to tune in to LNN : Llama News Network» All Llamas are good llamas says Yo Llama..

And vote early and often!

[Legs]

Take the Llama Quiz

[Ensign Steve]

I got a 4 out of 10. I blame one of my wrong answers on some misinformation in the OP.

[biochemgirl]

I am in heaven right now.

[biochemgirl]

Oh and fun bcg fact. I hum to the llamas all the time and they hum back.

[vremya]

I heard that llamas make good guard animals. So long as you have only one - if you have two llamas guarding your sheep, they're going to be more interested in each other than anything else.

[fragment]

5/10. Cria, humming and bananas were complete guesses, though.

[biochemgirl]

Originally Posted by vremya

I heard that llamas make good guard animals. So long as you have only one - if you have two llamas guarding your sheep, they're going to be more interested in each other than anything else.

I honestly think it's more due to their curiosity than anything. They are incredibly curious animals.

[Shelli]

[biochemgirl]

There is a lot of llama love in this thread.

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by biochemgirl

Oh and fun bcg fact. I hum to the llamas all the time and they hum back.

So, do you have actual llamas in your country estate, and if so how many?

[biochemgirl]

Originally Posted by JoeP

So, do you have actual llamas in your country estate, and if so how many?

We don't but my mom and dad actually raise them along with alpacas and other strange sorts of creatures. I'm not quite sure how many they have off the top of my head but I would say maybe 20ish? I get to visit them every time I go home for the weekend.

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by biochemgirl

We don't but my mom and dad actually raise them along with alpacas and other strange sorts of creatures. I'm not quite sure how many they have off the top of my head but I would say maybe 20ish? I get to visit them every time I go home for the weekend.

COOL.

[vremya]

Alpacas have such funny faces. They always look like they're about to say something. I'm making a shawl out of alpaca yarn right now. It's so soft!

[Ensign Steve]

Originally Posted by vremya

Alpacas have such funny faces. They always look like they're about to say something.

WTF! Really?

[jess]

We watched some llamas go through obstacle courses yesterday at the fair...

[Deadlokd]

Originally Posted by jess

We watched some llamas go through obstacle courses yesterday at the fair...

Did the Marines accept them?

5/10. 18-24 months huh. JoeP, you got some 'splainin' to do!

(How do we not have Lucille Ball smilies?)

[JoeP]

It's not my misinformation, it's that friggin' Wikipedia bullshit. And my bullshit detector was triggered by that article: it's written in a slightly weird way, at least from 'Classification' on. As if it had been quietly copied from something assiduously written in the far-off 19th century, replete with many flowery but singularly unnecessary adjectives.

[biochemgirl]

Originally Posted by jess

We watched some llamas go through obstacle courses yesterday at the fair...

Yup, we have that at Iowa State Fair. I have actually watched it once or twice. I see they have added the "llama limbo contest".

Oh and I am thinking the correct answer is around two years, but like any other animals it can vary.

[BrotherMan]

From here.

[Clutch Munny]

Been meaning to post this for weeks now. It's from my trip to Argentina this summer, a pic of a wall hanging.

I call it: Stretch Llamo:

[biochemgirl]

[Shelli]

[JoeP]

alpaca time

[Ensign Steve]

Where's his legs go!?

edit: ears, too