George Andrews, age 9, of Baltimore, Md., for his question:
IS THE LLAMA RELATED TO THE CAMEL?
The llama is the largest member of the camel family that lives in South America. It is most useful as a pack animal since it can carry about 100 pounds and is sure footed on steep mountain trails.
The llama is a domesticated animal that was probably bred hundreds of years ago from the wild guanaco. Unlike its cousin the camel, the llama has no hump. And it's smaller, too about four feet tall at the shoulders with a body that is about four or five feet long.
Thick, long hair covers the animal. It may be colored brown, buff, gray, white or black. Only males over three and a half years of age are used for pack animals. The females are used for breeding and furs. The female llama has one baby at a time. The baby is called a "kid."
As a working animal, a llama can carry 100 pounds from 15 to 20 miles each day. Sometimes hundreds of llamas are used on an engineering project. They march up steep trails linked together in train fashion.
Llamas can be extremely stubborn animals. If the creature believes his pack is too heavy, or if he thinks that he has worked hard enough for one day, he will lie down, with his front legs under him, and refuse to move.
When a llama is angry or under attack, he can spit a mouthful of bad smelling saliva into his enemy's face.
The Indians of the South American Andes find the llama useful in many different ways. First, of course, it is used to transport goods. The Indians eat the meat of the young animals. They also use the hair of the llama to make garments and the hide to make sandals.
The llama is inexpensive to keep. It is a hardy animal and lives on low shrubs, lichens and other plants that grow on high mountains. It can live for weeks without drinking water. Instead, it gets its moisture from green plants that grow wild in the area.
Related to the llama is the guanaco, an animal that looks like a small camel without a hump. The guanaco and its relative, the vicuna, are wild, wool bearing animals of South America.
A guanaco stands from three and a half feet to four feet high at the shoulders. Its hair is thick and long, reddish brown above and white below.
Guanacos live in groups on mountains and plains. They once roamed in large herds. The groups are much smaller these days.
Both the llama and the alpaca of South America, the experts believe, may be descended from the guanaco.
The llama, as well as the guanaco and camel, belong to the "ruminant group." This is a name given to the grazing animals that chew their cuds and have split hoofs. Other ruminants are sheep, cows, deer, goats, antelopes and giraffes.
Most ruminants have stomachs that have four separate cavities or compartments. Each cavity helps digest food.