Write the words you listen and complete the text:
(SOUND)
When Americans think of where coyotes live, they probably think of __________ states in the Southwest like Arizona. But over time, these wild dogs have spread all the way to the East Coast.
Some farmers have ___________ to protect their sheep from coyotes. These guards are llamas. Llamas are South American animals usually raised in the United States for their fiber or for show or as ____________. But farmers and ranchers noticed that llamas get along well with sheep. They also noticed that over ____________, coyotes were killing fewer sheep. So they chose llamas for guard duty.
Llamas do not need any ____________. Farmers usually place only one with a group of sheep. Llamas are ____________ animals. Two llamas together will not pay attention to the sheep. A lone llama has no choice.
In the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, farmer Leo Tammi has several hundred sheep. His dogs help him control and protect the ____________ of sheep. But the dogs are not always available. So he uses llamas.
Whenever anything enters the ____________, they know about it. He says their natural interest, and willingness to face almost anything that comes ___________, is enough to scare away a _____________ animal like a coyote.
Their size also helps. Llamas can weigh as much as one hundred thirty-six kilograms. And they look something like a small horse — a funny looking __________ with a lot of fine, soft fur. Llamas are not vicious animals. However, if they are not around people at a very young age, they will not like to be touched. In many ways a llama is just as ____________ as a sheep. But llamas have a secret _____________. They spit.
When they get angry, they spit out the contents of their stomachs. The result looks and smells ___________.
Llamas really know how to make a statement. In fact, you can find examples of llama sounds on the Internet — just remember that llama is spelled with two Ls, L-L-A-M-A. If they sense a threat, they make an ____________ sound. This is what a male sounds like:
(SOUND)
And this is a female alarm call.
(SOUND)
Llamas are New World camelids along with alpacas, vicunas and guanacos. Camelids are a _____________ of animals that also include the camels and dromedaries of Africa and Asia.
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