Llamas
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Tarang Bhargava
By Tarang Bhargava
Published on 21 April 2008
Llamas are a type of animal that look very similar to camels but they don’t have the humps on their backs. There are more than 100,000 llamas living in the United States and Canada. Throughout history these animals have been used to help civilizations move their belongings and to help them haul things. Llamas are very mild in temperament so they were good as pack animals and they could also climb up the rugged terrain.
Llamas are a type of animal that look very similar to camels but they don’t have the humps on their backs. There are more than 100,000 llamas living in the United States and Canada. Throughout history these animals have been used to help civilizations move their belongings and to help them haul things. Llamas are very mild in temperament so they were good as pack animals and they could also climb up the rugged terrain.
Most llamas are tan or dark brown in color. White is also found in them in their faces and along their legs. Some breeds of llamas are white in color with a few hints of brown. Llamas are so tame that many zoos allow people to pet and feed them. You will find llama breeders that have domesticated some of them into household pets.
Llamas have very little trouble reproducing and the female is often pregnant after the first interaction. Researchers believe this is due to the length of time that intercourse takes place though as the act generally lasts for at least thirty minutes. Due to this rare reproduction ability, llamas don’t go into heat and there isn’t a constant cycle of intercourse for a given period of time. Females are ready to reproduce around one year of age but the males aren’t ready until they are approximately three years old.
There are also significant differences in their child rearing from other types of animals. The female will be pregnant just shy of a full year. Most llamas are born very easily and the mother shows very few signs of distress. Some feel the female llamas don’t bond well with their newborns.
They don’t lick them when they are born as most other mothers do. This process is to remove their scent so that predators don’t come looking for them. The reason why female llamas don’t do this is due to the way their tongues are formed as they aren’t able to push them outside of their mouth.
Llamas tend to eat anything that you give them, but most breeders give them plenty of grain, grass, and supplements. This helps to keep them calm and healthy. Those llamas that have the right combination of nutrition seem to breed easier than those with a poor diet. Most llamas like to interact with people but if they are afraid they will spit at you. This is something that many humans don’t take to very kindly.
Most llamas are tan or dark brown in color. White is also found in them in their faces and along their legs. Some breeds of llamas are white in color with a few hints of brown. Llamas are so tame that many zoos allow people to pet and feed them. You will find llama breeders that have domesticated some of them into household pets.
Llamas have very little trouble reproducing and the female is often pregnant after the first interaction. Researchers believe this is due to the length of time that intercourse takes place though as the act generally lasts for at least thirty minutes. Due to this rare reproduction ability, llamas don’t go into heat and there isn’t a constant cycle of intercourse for a given period of time. Females are ready to reproduce around one year of age but the males aren’t ready until they are approximately three years old.
There are also significant differences in their child rearing from other types of animals. The female will be pregnant just shy of a full year. Most llamas are born very easily and the mother shows very few signs of distress. Some feel the female llamas don’t bond well with their newborns.
They don’t lick them when they are born as most other mothers do. This process is to remove their scent so that predators don’t come looking for them. The reason why female llamas don’t do this is due to the way their tongues are formed as they aren’t able to push them outside of their mouth.
Llamas tend to eat anything that you give them, but most breeders give them plenty of grain, grass, and supplements. This helps to keep them calm and healthy. Those llamas that have the right combination of nutrition seem to breed easier than those with a poor diet. Most llamas like to interact with people but if they are afraid they will spit at you. This is something that many humans don’t take to very kindly.