What’s your favorite animal?

It may sound like a childish question, but I encourage all who read this to at least consider what animal is your preference. Not only is having a favorite animal interesting and fun, it demonstrates your taste and personality. My animal happens to be the llama, because of their uniqueness, admirable attitudes and all-around coolness.

Llamas have the best attitudes, which can be seen in their posture. Perhaps it’s their structure, but I love the way they always have their heads held high and looking everyone in the eye.

There are four kinds of llamas: The llama, Auchenia glama; the alpaca, pacos; the guanaco or huanaco, huonaeus; and the vicuña, vicugna or vicuiena. Though they differ in size, location and what products they‘re used for, all the llamas share similar traits. But the best aspects of the llama aren't found in what they're used for or where they're located. It's their personalities!

If a llama is gracing some folks with its help in carrying a load on a hike up the Andes Mountains, and the load is too heavy or the llama is too tired, the llama will lay down, refuse to move and spit in the owner’s face. That attitude says, “I’m overworked, underpaid and I’m not going to take it.”

Now the spit of a llama is a powerful thing. You know how gross human spit is? Triple that, because llamas have three stomachs. And the more gruesome the llama's spit is, the more agitated the llama is. So at the third hocking level you better watch yourself.

Something else interesting and totally cool, if a female is pregnant and another llama tries to breed with her, she'll spit in the male's face. When I read that I smiled and thought, “he should of known better.”

A baby llama is called a cria, and llama raisers are actually warned to not handle the crias too much. Though llamas are social creatures, too much attention can, shall we say, spoil a llama. They’ll treat humans the same as they treat each other when they get older, and that includes some fun-loving spittin’, wrestlin’ and kickin’. It would be hard to leave an adorable baby llama alone, but for the long-term sake of the llama and all who encounter it, I think I could do it.

This is just a portion of information on llamas I know and can regurgitate for the moment, but to me, that's what makes them cool, and why they're one of my favorite animals. So as you’re picking your favorite animal, choose something that intrigues you. And not just because you think it’s cute … unless it’s a penguin.