This is not a llama.

September 10, 2005 8:12 AM

Vicunas. Perhaps everyone else already knows about them, but I just learned today. Vicunas are my new favorite animal. Not only are they intelligent, shy, highly photogenic and notoriously difficult to tame, but they also orgle. This, while extremely cute, is not a vicuna.
posted by cleardawn (30 comments total)

Cute. Never heard of them before either, but orgling should come in very handy once I've masterd it.
posted by fvw at 8:29 AM on September 10, 2005

The male will make this sound while approaching a female for breeding and will continue until copulation is complete. This can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour. The males do not show any signs of discomfort during or after orgling for so long.

If I may be forgiven for a little tasteless anthropomorphising here, I find myself wondering: Do gay vicuñas both orgle, or just one of them?

Thanks to uberstorm for introducing me to the high-altitude world of the vicuña. I also now know how to make those twiddly things over the n, which is good.

Although I must admit that I am, indeed, one of those people who "...would only be happy if every book treating with human civilization included a little anti-imperialism anti-slavery anti-Western-culture polemic." Just my personal bias I guess.
posted by cleardawn at 8:46 AM on September 10, 2005

loqzilla thinks vicuna would make a tasty snack!
posted by loquacious at 8:54 AM on September 10, 2005

Vicunas are the new penguins.
posted by SPrintF at 9:09 AM on September 10, 2005

See, some good can come out of overblown academic debates!
posted by Johnny Assay at 9:10 AM on September 10, 2005

Ted Turner has a vicuna ranch in Argentina. Seriously.

They are very cool animals.
posted by BoringPostcards at 9:17 AM on September 10, 2005

There is no reason to be alarmed if your llama remains laying flat on its side for a few minutes after rolling. This is normal behavior.

I wish I'd found Llamapaedia back in 1997 when it was written - I've missed out on eight years of laughing at that one!
posted by cleardawn at 9:19 AM on September 10, 2005

Vicunas rock. I got to pet one when I was in Peru a few years ago - they're wonderfully soft, and so tiny and delicate!

Actually, Llamas in general rock. I did not know about orgling though, and am now feeling very enriched :)
posted by kalimac at 9:24 AM on September 10, 2005

There's also guanacos, just to keep things interesting.


I love this warning sign I saw at the San Diego zoo:
Warning: Cameloids spit when agitated.
posted by O9scar at 9:32 AM on September 10, 2005

Who is this Ted Turner? And why are my sisters locked in his cage?
posted by cleardawn at 9:57 AM on September 10, 2005

Vicunas are the new llamas.
posted by iviken at 10:05 AM on September 10, 2005

"I love this warning sign I saw at the San Diego zoo:
Warning: Cameloids spit when agitated."

I've heard Ted Turner does too.
posted by muppetboy at 10:08 AM on September 10, 2005

This picture has made my week, thank you cleardawn.
posted by ceri richard at 10:46 AM on September 10, 2005

Llama Llight.
posted by squirrel at 11:04 AM on September 10, 2005

cleardawn - I had no idea how to do the n-twiddly-things either. First found out about all the cameloid species in South America while reading something about the Inca, and I've thought that they were totally cool ever since.
posted by ubersturm at 11:22 AM on September 10, 2005

Lamas Light
posted by maryh at 12:15 PM on September 10, 2005

The male will make this sound while approaching a female for breeding and will continue until copulation is complete.... The males do not show any signs of discomfort during or after orgling for so long.

But my girlfriend always slaps me for orgling in public. That's discomfortable.

It does seem that there used to be a lot of confusion about the species -- at one time the alpaca was considered the domesticated version of the vicuna, but now the vicuna is in a separate genus. They're all camels, though.
posted by dhartung at 12:23 PM on September 10, 2005

but they also orgle.

I thought this said "orgie" and was highly disturbed.
posted by melt away at 12:31 PM on September 10, 2005

Guanacos are neat. We have a herd at the Detroit Zoo. They are very careful about where they excrete, using only a specific part of their pen. Unusual behaviour in a wild animal.
posted by QIbHom at 12:36 PM on September 10, 2005

I think I speak for the entire Internets when I say... AWWWWW!
posted by drezdn at 1:08 PM on September 10, 2005

I've always wandered what the Spaniards first reaction was to llamas and the ilk. "Mi Dios! Who stretched that goat's neck?!"
posted by Atreides at 1:18 PM on September 10, 2005

"As long as the lady is paying for it, why not take the vicuna?" < /sunset boulevard>
posted by billysumday at 3:01 PM on September 10, 2005

Toys
posted by lalochezia at 4:01 PM on September 10, 2005

Vicuna I met in Peru.
posted by moonbird at 8:30 PM on September 10, 2005

The funniest animal is the Pudu.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 9:05 PM on September 10, 2005

I'd hit it.
posted by Smedleyman at 9:59 PM on September 10, 2005

/what? I'm a leg man, gimme four.
posted by Smedleyman at 9:59 PM on September 10, 2005

As languagehat has not spoken up, I feel compelled to remind you all to:

¡Remember the enye (eñe)!

The word is vicuña.
posted by rob511 at 4:50 AM on September 11, 2005

moonbird what a fantastic photo!
posted by jamesonandwater at 4:22 PM on September 11, 2005

Tina come get some ham.

(matter of time really)
posted by Smedleyman at 5:37 PM on September 11, 2005