Llama

The llama is a large, furry mammal that lives in the Andes Mountains of South America. It belongs to the camel family, and it is a close cousin of the alpaca, the vicuña, and the guanaco. An adult llama stands about six feet tall from the ground to the top of its head. It weighs between 250 and 450 pounds, which is about as much as a large adult human.

Llamas have long necks, big eyes, and tall, curved ears shaped a little like bananas. Their thick wool can be white, brown, black, gray, or a mix of colors. Unlike their camel cousins in Africa and Asia, llamas do not have humps. They do share the camel's ability to go a long time without drinking much water.

People in the Andes tamed the llama more than 4,000 years ago. That was long before the pyramids of Egypt were finished. The Inca Empire, which ruled a huge part of South America in the 1400s and 1500s, depended on llamas for almost everything. The Inca used llamas to carry goods across steep mountain trails where no wagon could go. They used llama wool for clothing and llama dung for fuel. Llamas were so important that the Inca even included them in religious ceremonies.

A llama is a pack animal, which means it carries things for people. A strong adult can carry about 75 pounds on its back and walk up to 20 miles in a day. But llamas are picky. If you load one with too much weight, it will lie down and refuse to move. Sometimes it will spit or kick until the load is lighter.

Llamas are plant eaters. They chew grass, hay, and leaves, and they bring their food back up to chew it again. This second chewing is called chewing the cud. Llamas live in herds and communicate with soft humming sounds. A mother llama hums to her baby, called a cria, almost from the moment it is born.

Today, llamas are raised all over the world, not just in the Andes. Farmers in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia keep them for wool and as pack animals. Some farmers even use llamas as guards. A llama will chase off coyotes and stray dogs to protect a flock of sheep. After thousands of years at human side, the llama is still one of the most useful animals in the Americas.