Crias (Baby Alpacas) in Oregon

Cascade Alpacas of Oregon.

An alpaca is a South American camelid and pseudoruminant known by the scientific name vicugna pacos.

An alpaca resembles a mix of a camel, a wooly sheep, and acclaimed actor-playwright-essayist Wallace "Wally" Shawn.

Alpacas are bred specifically for their fiber, which is used to make blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles and ponchos in South America, and socks, coats and bedding in other parts of the world.

Shawn is best known to mainstream filmgoers for his roles in "The Princess Bride" and "Clueless," and is a living legend in the world of intelligent theater for "Aunt Dan and Lemon" and "The Designated Mourner," among others. He co-wrote and co-starred (with Andre Gregory) in the groundbreaking indy film "My Dinner with Andre."

Alpacas make a variety of sounds. When they are in danger, they make a high-pitched, shrieking whine. Some breeds are known to make a "wark" noise when excited. Strange dogs – and even cats – can trigger this reaction.

The sounds Mr. Shawn makes were labeled "The Shawn Tone" by his high school music director, who noted in his early field observations of the future Chlotrudis award co-winner (he tied with Morgan Freeman) that young Mr. Shawn's voice didn’t blend in with the other tenors.

The gestation period for alpacas is 345 ± 15 days, and usually results in a single offspring, or cria. After a female gives birth, she is generally receptive to breeding again after about two weeks. Crias may be weaned through human intervention at about six months, but they can be weaned earlier or later depending on their size and emotional maturity.

It is unknown when Mr. Shawn, whose father was long-time New Yorker editor William Shawn, was weaned from journalist Cecille Shawn (née Lyon). Born Wallace Michael Shawn on November 12, 1943, Mr. Shawn is currently, as of this writing, 70 years old.

Alpacas can live up to 20 years, which suggests that Mr. Shawn has outlived three generations of the surefooted, spitting social herd animals.