🐾 Llama

Llama

Llama

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Who it is

Scientific name: Lama glama
Family & relatives: Family Camelidae; closely related to the alpaca, guanaco, and vicuna, and to camels.
How to spot it: Tall woolly animal with a long neck, banana-shaped ears, and a variety of coat colors.

Its body & abilities

Size: About 1.7-1.8 m tall at the head.
Weight: Roughly 130-200 kg.
Body & adaptations: Padded two-toed feet that are gentle on trails, and a three-chambered stomach for tough plants.
Top speed: Can run up to about 45 km/h.
Strength: A strong pack animal that can carry roughly a quarter of its body weight for many kilometers.
Senses: Good eyesight and hearing, alert to predators across open ground.
Growing up: A single baby, called a cria, can stand and walk within an hour of birth.

Where it lives

Habitat: Domesticated; thrives in high Andean grasslands and on farms worldwide.
Where in the world: Native to the Andes; now kept on farms across the world.
Territory: A herd animal kept in pastures rather than defending wild territory.

What it eats

Diet: Herbivore that grazes and needs relatively little water for its size.
Favorite foods: Grasses, hay, and other low shrubs and plants.
How it hunts: Grazes calmly through the day, chewing cud like a cow.

How it behaves

How it moves: Walks and runs surefootedly on rugged mountain terrain.
When it is active: Active during the day (diurnal).
Family life: Lives in social groups called herds.
How it talks: Hums to communicate, gives an alarm call, and spits to show annoyance or settle rank.
Babies: After about 11.5 months of pregnancy, a female gives birth to a single cria, usually standing.

Its place in nature

Role in nature: A domesticated pack, fiber, and guard animal; wild kin are hunted by pumas.
Conservation: A domesticated animal, so not assessed on the IUCN Red List; populations are secure.
Dangers: Usually managed livestock; wild-type risks include predators and harsh weather.

Life & legacy

How long it lives: Around 15-25 years.
In our culture: Central to Andean life for thousands of years and a symbol of the Inca world.
Where to see it: Andean highlands of Peru and Bolivia, and farms and petting zoos worldwide.
Fun fact: Llamas are so protective they are often used as guard animals for sheep and goats.

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Video: Pixabay · Photos: Wikimedia Commons & Pixabay