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LET THE SPIT FLY!

© Joy Butler

It has been said that if you don't want to fall in love, don't look into the face of a llama.

Llamas are highly intelligent, easily trainable members of the camelid family. They originate in the Andes Mountains of South America and come in several varieties and many colors of solids, spots and patterns. Llamas will reach 40 to 48 inches at the withers and weigh 300 to 500 pounds at maturity.

Well known is the fact that llamas will spit when upset but, according to owners, a properly socialized and trained one will seldom spit at humans. However, if they are threatened by another animal, they can bring up a smelly, green substance from the first of their three stomachs and, rudely, let the spit fly!

According to twenty year llama trainer, John Mallon, llamas, in order to be easily handled by humans, must be properly socialized, which is not the same method of socializing we are accustomed to with typical companion animals. Our nature is to comfort and cuddle, which works fine with predator animals such as dogs and cats, but prey animals such as llamas see life from a different perspective. Instinct tells them to be wary of touches about the head and legs. Submissive behavior in a predator is considered aggressive behavior in a herd-living prey animal. A young llama, or cria, who has been "overcuddled" and has not been in the company of its own kind during the critical learning period will grow up unable to differentiate between llamas and humans, resulting in its inappropriate and dangerous behavior toward humans.

Although considered livestock, with different personalities from dogs or horses, each llama will display it's own unique personality and many make great pets and have gone on to successful showing, backpacking, wool production, and even therapy work. They, naturally, use one dungpile and rarely need to be cleaned up after. In recent years, ranchers have also discovered, somewhat accidentally, their livestock guarding abilities.

Ranchers happened to notice that when they placed llamas in their herds, they lost fewer animals. Adult llamas are naturally territorial and protective of their herds. When one or two are placed with sheep, goats, or even ducks, they adopt the livestock as their new herd. Although prey animals themselves, when predators threatened, llamas were discovered to position themselves between the predator and the herd, stomp their feet, lower their head and charge. Small dogs, coyotes, and foxes usually tucked tail and retreated from this intimidating behavior. Those who did not were met with striking hooves.

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