Llamas

Llamas are members of the camelid family, those being camels, alpacas, llamas, guanacos, and vicunas.  The camelids originated on the central plains of North America about 40 million years ago.  By the end of the last Ice Age (10,000-12,000 years ago), camelids were extinct in North America.  Having migrated, llamas were domesticated from guanacos in the Andean highlands of Peru 4,000-10,000 years ago, and were among the oldest domesticated animals in the world.  Primarily a beast of burden, they also provided native herdsmen with meat, wool for clothing, hide for shelter, manure pellets for fuel, and offerings to their gods.
Llamas come in many different shapes and sizes.  They can have light, medium, or heavy wool, which could be a solid, marked, spotted, shaded, or pinto color.  Eating a browser's diet of fresh plant material, hay, and some supplemental grain and minerals, adult llamas can weigh between 200-450 pounds and live 20-30 years with good health care.   They have two-toed feet with nails and leathery bottoms so they have a low impact on the environment.   Llamas only have bottom teeth in the front of their mouth to nibble the vegetation.  When it is time for a rest, they will relax and chew their cud.
Llamas are clean animals with very little body odor and they use a communal dung heap, which means all the llamas use the same manure pile.  Llamas need basic shelter from wind, rain, cold, and heat.  In the summertime, llamas are shorn (wool trimmed off) to help keep them cool and they also like to have their legs and belly hosed down with cool water.  Llamas enjoy kushing (lying down) in front of a fan to stay cool and sometimes, you might catch one in a small kid's pool or playing in a sprinkler.
 Llamas are highly social animals and need the companionship of other llamas.  A llama communicates with body language-the position of his tail, ears, neck, and body.  A llama commonly makes three noises:  a hum, a shrill alarm whinny (a warning of predators), and orgling (a loud gargle which males make when breeding).
Although llamas do not normally spit at humans, they might if they feel threatened or if they have been mishandled or abused.  Llamas spit at each other to maintain their pecking order in the herd, to protect the best eating spot, to discipline a youngster, or to reject unwanted advances from an amorous male.
Llamas are very intelligent, independent, aloof, curious and gentle, which, as companion animals or pets, makes them a non-demanding pleasure to be around and train.  Llamas are especially good with children and can be fun for the entire family.  A llama can provide wool for fiber crafts, walk in parades, carry a pack for picnics and camping trips, be a jogging companion, visit nursing homes and schools, guard small livestock, entertain at birthday parties, pull a cart and compete in llama shows.
Probably the best part about having llamas would be the feeling you get just hanging around them and watching them.  Once you have had a llama hug and kiss, you will never forget the magical spirit of a llama.