The Colorado statesman., 1920-07-03
HAVE HIGH VALUE
Four South American Animals OF
Great Utility.
The Llhms in Particular. We'll Called
"Ship OF the Desert" Is Prized-
ALPACA Is Bred for Its
Splendid Fleece.

When first seeing llama an alpaca.
vicunu or gunnacO, In their native
habitat your first comment would be: :
TOO big for sheep. too small for a
camel, yet looks like both" while yon
might add mentally. as did the yokel
when he saw the giraffe at the circus:
"There amt no such animal" These
extraordinary creatures, little known
outside of the southern Andean re-
gion OF South America. have their
range from southern Ecuador through
the elevated plateaus of Peru and Bo-
livIa southward along the high Andes
to the plains Of Patagonia and Tierrn
del Fuego. All are of the very high
est utility for mems needs for food and
clothing.
The four are merely different breeds
of the same race. varying only as they
have heen bred in domesticity for GER
tain specialized purposes. or modified
by their environment when left un-
hampered In their native wilds. Pos
sessing a head like a sheep, sway
ing. curved neck like a camel. with
out the camel's hump but drawn In at
the wlthers like the camel and with the
camel's 'wobbly" look. apparently In
securely braced upon its tall. slender
legs. with the camel's cushion-like
splay feet, the llamas undoubtedly be-
long TO the camel family. They have
the camel's nature. for though more
vigllant than the camel, they possess
the same dull imperturabillty. and
hnf IN niSnO-
sition, and seem to consider man their
hereditary foe. only to be obeyed by
compulsIon and with spiteful splttingS
and groans.
The llama family in prehistoric
times had a much wider range than
at present, their fossil remains being
found from the republic of Colombia
nOrthward to Central America ana
even aS far north as central Colorado.
The llama and alpaca are domesttcat-
ed. the grIanaco and vicuna are still In
the wild state. and this Is one or the
Instances where domestiCated animals
range co-existent with their wild con
geners. OF the four kinds the guiana
co is the most numerous. and is found
in bands of , TO 800, and while con-
fined to the high table lands elsewhere.
In Patagonia their range Is over the
plains and lower lands as well.
Both the guanacO and vicuna are
easily tanned and readily take to cap
tvity. and from the wild guanaco and
vIcuna have sprung the dOmesticated
llama and alpaca. The alpaca is kept
upon the wild uplands near the eter-
nal SHOWS and is only driven in to he
shorn of its beautiful fleece of black
or brown wool. which Is so long that
II often falls over It's sides and back
like curling cascade reaching to the
ground.
When PIzarro and his fellow con-
uuistadores conquered the aboriginal
PeruvIans they found the llama the
ONLY dOmestIcated beast of burden.
Under Spanish domination more than
100000 llamas were used TO carry sill
yer from the mines to the seacoast, but
the coming OF the horse. the burro, and
more than all else. the railway is grad
ually running II out, as 1t is timid and
slow, and can travel with Its 1OO-pOund
pack only 10 to IL miles day; yet
IL retains a certain advantage, as 1t Is
never fed on the trail but forages Its
own LIKING.