Jacqueline and Gerald Lockwood, age 11, of S. Barnaby, B.C., for the question:

Is it true that the llama drinks no water?

The llama is the camel's American cousin. True, he is much smaller than his Old World cousin, but he has certain features which prove that he is not too distantly related. He has camel‑like feet with cloven hooves and soft pads. He walks like a camel ‑ two right feet, then two left feet. He has the camels bone structure, teeth and even the same disdainful expression on his face. The llama also has a camel type stomach, fatted with a water storage tank so that he can go without drinking for several days.

So. far ‑:s we know, all 'animals need a certain‑‑amount of water‑ with trieir food, just as we do. Some who live in arid regions have to make do with a drink only now and again. Certain antelopes of the sandy Sahara and ~ ‑­the dry regions of North Africa go for many days without a drink of water. Some people believe that our sassy prairie dog never drinks water. But this fellow is up and about early in the morning and perhaps the dew on the prairie grasses provides his drinking needs. These animals, however are unable to cope with a drought as well as the camel and the llama.

The Old World camel is perfectly suited to life in arid desert regions. But when there is plenty of water he will drink perhaps seven gallons a day. Then, crossing the waterless desert from oasis to oasis he can go without a drank of water for three days or much, much longer.

The llama is native of the arid slopes of the Andes Mountains. Here, as in the desert, water holes are few and far between. But the llama, lake has cousin the camel, is well able to tide himself over a drought. Both these animals are vegetarian cud chewers. The food is torn off and swallowed whole into one compartment of a complicated stomach.

Later, some of it comes up in a moist wad called the cud. The cud is properly chewed, swallowed and sent to another stomach compartment to be digested. One cud after another comes up until the whole meal is chewed and swallowed again.

Cows and deer also chew the cud, but the camel and the llama have a still more remarkable feature in their stomachs. The walls of one stomach compartment are lined with pockets for storing water. When the animal drinks his fill, these pockets are sealed like little flasks. The animal is able to draw upon this water and use it when needed.

The llama can go for several days without a drink of water, s o long as he has a supply in his water storage tank. But finally this supply of stored water in the stomach walls is all used up. Then, like his cousin the camel, the llama is ready for a long, long drink of water.