Feeding Time
Alpaca, or llama? I didn't know. I'd switch off between the two when describing the animal featured in @shaka's template in Round 184 of the LMAC Collage Contest. Then I read @redheadpei's blog. She called the animal an alpaca, and @redheadpei knows her animals :)
I did look it up, though. One of the easiest ways for me to identify an alpaca is by the tuft of hair on its head. Sometimes the hair actually falls into the alpaca's eyes. Both animals are camelids, but each is raised for a different purpose.
If you look at the beleaguered animal in the template photo, you will note the conspicuous tuft of hair on the animal's head. Definitely an alpaca.
Template photo by @shaka
According to Heifer International, llamas are raised as work animals and alpacas are raised for their fur. The alpaca grows a fine, silky fleece that is harvested. Llamas fur is more like hair.
Alpaca
Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK. Used un CC Attribution generic 2.0 license
Llama
Andrija12345678, Llamas, Vernagt-Stausee, Italy. Used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license..
Other differences? Alpacas are smaller, and have stubby faces that (according to Heifer,) are cute. The llama has a long narrow face.
As for temperament: Both animals are known for spitting on people (!) but the alpaca can be sweet, shy and courteous. Don't expect that pet-like behavior from a llama.
Alpacas make wonderful pets (despite the spitting, I guess). Get ready to cuddle.
I made one or two attempts to free the alpaca from its constraints and then decided I would just work with its head and surroundings. Keeping the alpaca in the semi-prone position really limited my possibilities.
I borrowed the head:
Then worked with it, and found an alpaca's body I could attach the head to. Fortunately, I have visited the local farm where there are plenty of alpacas and I had pictures.
I also had a lot of goat pictures from the same farm. Goats and alpaca get along fine. I slowly built the picture so there would be a puppy
in the background (thank you @muelli) and I learned that alpaca like to eat carrots. Thank you @yaziris.
I put some sheep, and alpaca in the distant background, filled the foreground with grass and added a lot of flowers. I was ready, but it looked plain. So I ran the picture through a lunapic filter and that lent the collage a bit of stardust.
It was a challenging template, but I like the fact that the alpaca is no longer in distress :)
As always, the LMAC Gallery of Images, LIL provided me with essential elements for my collage. Thank you again, @muelli and @yaziris. Anyone on Hive can contribute to the library and everyone can borrow from it. Learn about the procedure here.
We have had some spectacular contests with handsome prizes in the last few week. The contest starts anew tomorrow. Make a collage and join in the fun. As @shaka says, everyone is an artist. I make a collage just about every week, but I don't enter the contest. The fun and community are the draw.
Thank you for reading. Peace and health to all.