Llama (Lama glama)

Llama overview

The llama is the largest of the four South American camelids, a humpless relative of camels domesticated from the wild guanaco in the Andes of Peru some 4,000–5,000 years ago. Andean peoples, including the Inca, relied on it as their only pack animal and as a source of meat, hides, fiber and dried dung for fuel. Llamas have long necks, banana-shaped ears, padded two-toed feet that grip rocky trails, and blood adapted to thin mountain air. They are social herd animals that communicate by humming and settle disputes by spitting. Llamas do not exist in the wild.

How Long Do Llamas Live?

Llamas live 15–25 years, with most reaching 15–20. Good nutrition, parasite control and dental care can carry some individuals into their late twenties. Because llamas are domestic animals, there is no separate wild lifespan; their wild ancestor, the guanaco, lives roughly 15–20 years.

How Much Does a Llama Weigh?

An adult llama weighs 130–200 kg (290–440 lb), and unusually large animals have been reported at up to about 270 kg. That makes the llama two to three times heavier than an alpaca. A newborn llama, called a cria, weighs around 9–14 kg.

How Tall Is a Llama?

A llama stands 1.0–1.2 m (3.3–3.9 ft) at the shoulder and 1.7–1.8 m (5.6–5.9 ft) at the top of the head. The long neck accounts for much of its height. Alpacas are noticeably shorter, at about 0.8–1.0 m at the shoulder.

How Long Is a Llama Pregnant?

A llama is pregnant for about 350 days, or roughly 11.5 months. She gives birth standing up to a single cria, usually in the morning, and twins are very rare. Llamas have no fixed breeding season because females ovulate only after mating.

What Do Llamas Eat?

Llamas are herbivores that graze on grasses and browse on shrubs, lichens and other hardy mountain plants. They have a three-chambered stomach and chew cud like cattle, but use food and water more efficiently. Farmed llamas eat pasture and grass hay and need only modest amounts of feed for their size.

Diet type: herbivore. Grasses, low shrubs, lichens and other mountain vegetation, plus hay on farms; llamas have a three-chambered stomach, chew cud and need less water than most livestock.

Where Do Llamas Live?

Llamas live on the high plateaus and mountain grasslands of the Andes, typically at 2,300–4,000 m, in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. Their blood carries oxygen unusually well, which suits them to high altitude. Tens of thousands are also kept on farms in North America and Europe.

Are Llamas Endangered?

The llama is a domesticated animal with no IUCN Red List status, and several million live in South America, mostly in Bolivia and Peru. It has no wild population. Its wild ancestor, the guanaco, is listed as Least Concern.

Domesticated

Llama fun facts

• Llamas spit mainly at each other to settle arguments over food or rank; a well-raised llama rarely spits at people.
• A pack llama can carry roughly a quarter of its body weight, and an overloaded llama will simply lie down and refuse to move.
• Llama antibodies are unusually small, and these 'nanobodies' are widely used in medical research.
• Llamas deposit their droppings in shared dung piles, which makes pastures easier to keep clean.
• The Inca had no horses or oxen; llama caravans carried goods along thousands of kilometers of mountain roads.

Rankings and comparisons

Llama FAQ

Related animals

All mammals