Inside Iowa State
Oct. 27, 1995


HANGING OUT WITH LLAMAS

by Steve Jones
Where livestock, horses and house pets are the norm, one 
College of Veterinary Medicine researcher has made llamas her 
center of attention.

Veterinary parasitologist Julie Jarvinen has a special bond 
with the South American members of the camel family. She 
conducts research on the animals, teaches a one-credit 
elective llama medicine course and owns about 35 llamas and 
their smaller cousins, alpacas. She's also known to help out 
fellow llama owners with veterinary advice.

Jarvinen's corner office in the veterinary medicine building 
is adorned with photos of the wooly, two-toed animals. 
There's also a bumper sticker that reads, "Spit Happens," a 
reference to llamas' habit of spitting, usually at each 
other. "Arguments over food, mostly," she explained.

Other than the occasional bad rep for spitting, llamas are 
enjoyed by many for their quiet and relaxed demeanor.  
"I like to hang out with llamas. They have a soothing effect 
on you," said Jarvinen, who daily observes some of the ISU-
owned llamas as part of her research, but occasionally visits 
them to relax and unwind.

"Llamas are fun to watch," she continued. "They're social 
animals, constantly interacting with one another. They're 
inquisitive and extremely gentle."

Jarvinen received a grant from the Morris Animal Foundation, 
Englewood, Colo., to test methods to control a parasite that 
can cripple and eventually kill llamas. The parasite, common 
but harmless in white-tailed deer, also strikes goats, sheep 
and wildlife, including elk and moose.

Her research will determine whether a commercial deworming 
medication is effective for llamas. If it works, Jarvinen 
will test a new time-release formula that may allow owners to 
give the medication only a few times a year. The current drug 
would require weekly applications.

The parasite has not caused widespread death among grazing 
llamas, goats or sheep, which acquire the worm by eating 
infected snails. However, as the United States llama 
population grows, the disease potential increases. A 1991 
study found that 45 percent of the white-tailed deer in 
central Iowa were infected with the parasite. 

The ISU llamas are more than mere research subjects. The 
animals, most of which were donated through the International 
Llama Association for Jarvinen's research, all have names, 
and Jarvinen knows a little about each. 

"There's Georgia, a female from South America that's afraid 
of humans, and Beethoven, an older, arthritic male," she 
said, describing two of four llamas staying in one enclosed 
area at Veterinary Medicine.

The number of U.S. llamas is increasing about 15 percent a 
year, according to Jack Thomas, registrar of the 
International Lama Registry, Rochester, Minn. More than 
87,000 llamas are registered in the United States, including 
more than 14,000 in Iowa.

"Lama" is the genus for three of the four Western Hemisphere 
camelids: the llama, alpaca and guanaco. The other camelid is 
the vicuna.

Most U.S. llamas are pets, although many also are used as 
breeding stock. For centuries in their native southern 
reaches of South America, they were used as pack animals and 
a source of fiber and food. 

Jarvinen's interest in llamas grew from her curiosity about 
an unusual intestinal parasite found in a guanaco nine years 
ago. "I wanted to do a small research project on the 
parasite, but money for llama research was -- and still is -- 
hard to come by and llamas were extremely high-priced," 
Jarvinen recalled. "Consequently, it was three years later 
that I ended up buying my first llama in order to begin the 
research. 

"Once you buy one, you can't stop," she quipped.
Jarvinen still has her first llama, a male named Carmel 
Apple, now one of her herd studs. Upon getting the animal, 
she started learning all she could about llamas. Although she 
has a Ph.D. in zoology and a D.V.M. degree, llama health was 
never a part of her curricula.

Jarvinen's llama medicine class gives ISU veterinary students 
an opportunity to increase their knowledge of the animals. 
From 10 to 20 students take the course each time it's 
offered.

"These students may have to treat one someday in their 
practices," Jarvinen said.

__________
University Relations
Iowa State University