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History
| Physical Facts | Q&A
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Llamas are members of the camel (camelid) family, along with the alpaca, guanaco, and the endangering vicunas. Originating in the Central Plains of North America about 10 million years ago, these camelids migrated to South America around 2.5 million years ago. The end of the Ice Age 10,000 to 12,000 years ago marked the extinction of the camelid in North America. Llamas were domesticated from the guanacos of the Andean highlands of Peru 5,000 to 6,000 yrs ago and are among the worlds oldest domestic animals. While primarily a beast of burden for the native herdsman, llamas also provided them with meat, wool, hides for shelter, manure pellets for fuel, and became sacrificial offerings to their gods. Today there are an estimated 7 million llamas and alpacas in South America. In North America, there's and estimated 80,000 llamas, 5,000 alpacas and 92 known, registered guanacos. Llamas have international appeal, with countries such as New Zealand augmenting their fiber industry with llama and alpaca wool. As in ancient times, the llama today is important to the agricultural economy of the remote highlands of Argentina, Bolivia, Chili, and Peru. In North America, the llama/alpaca industry is recognized as a viable agricultural entity.
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| Life Span: About 15-30 years | ||
| Height: 40-45" at the shoulder, 5-6' at the head | ||
| Weight: 280-450 pounds | ||
| Average Gestation: 350 days or 11.5 months |  |
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Reproduction: Females are first bred at 18- 24 months of age. Llamas do not have a heat cycle but are induced evaluators (ovulation occurs 24-36 hours after breeding). Thus they can be bred at any time of the year.
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| Birth: A single baby ("cria") is normally delivered without assistance from a standing mother during daylight hours. Twinning very rarely occurs. | ||
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Babies: Birth weight is usually 20-35 pounds. Babies usually nurse within an hour. They are usually weaned at 5-6 months.
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| Color: wool ranges from white to black, with shades of gray, beige, brown, red and roan in a variety of patterns. | ||
| Health: Because llamas and their ancestors are specially suited to the harsh environment of their Andean homeland, North American owners will find them remarkably hardy, healthy, and easy to care form and remarkably disease-free. | ||
| Q: What are they used for? | A: Uses include breeding stock, packing, driving, wool production, therapy, guard animals, and pets. |  |
| Q: Are they intelligent? | A: Llamas are intelligent and easy to train. In few repetitions they will pick up and retain many behaviors such as accepting a halter, being led, loading in and out of a vehicle, pulling a cart or carrying a pack. | |
| Q: Can you use their wool? | A: Yes, grease-free, lightweight llama wool is warm and luxurious and popular with spinners and weavers. | |
| Q: Are they good pack animals? | A: Llamas are excellent packers. They can carry 50-120 pounds, but are not ridden except by children. Their two-toed foot with its leathery bottom pad gives them great sure-footedness. This foot, and the llama's ability to browse, give the llama an impact on the environment equivalent to that of a large deer. | |
| Q: What and how much do they eat? | A: Llamas are a modified ruminant with three-compartment stomach. They chew their cud like cattle and sheep. Because of a relatively low protein requirement due to their efficient digestive systems, they can be kept on a variety of pastures or hay. | |
| Q: What is their personality like? | A: These highly social animals need the companionship of their species. Independent yet shy, llamas are gentle and make them easy for anyone, even children, to handle. | |
| Q: What sounds do they make? | A: Llamas communicate with a series of ear, body, and tail postures, as well as a shrill alarm call and humming sound. | |
| Q: Do they spit? | A: Spitting is a llamas' way of defending. Normally used only among llamas to divert annoying suitors ward of a perceived threat or, most commonly, to establish pecking order at mealtime, an occasional llama who has been forced to tolerate excessive human handling may have developed an intolerance for or fear of humans, and will spit if it feels threatened by them. | |
| Q: How much do they cost? |
A: Approximate cost: females begin at $4,000; bred females $6-10,000; pet/pack males begin at $700; stud quality males begin at $1,500.
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