Those Tails Can ell Tales

Page 4

This llama is clamping her tail holding it tightly against her body. It lacks a "fullness" or depth and appears flattened against the body curving straight down off the rear onto the buttocks. Clamping the tail is generally indicative of an overall tensing throughout the body. Without actually handling the tail, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish a clamped tail from one that is more relaxed. A clamped tail will feel tightly pressed to the buttocks, stiff with little to no mobility. As part of a number of behavioral indicators, clamping the tail often appears in concert with visible signs of muscle tension in the face.

As the end portion of a long continuous centerline from the back of the head, down the neck following the backbone and off the center of the rear, tails are an important component of the alpaca and llama body. They are an intricate and connected piece of the whole and provide a valuable contribution to the body language vocabulary. If we are listening, those tails can tell quite a tale.

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