A domesticated South American camelid, used by Andean cultures for meat and as a pack animal since before Columbus. Llamas are social herd animals and are also used as livestock guardians.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?Yes
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Do people eat it?Yes
Used for meat and as a pack animal in the Andes since before Columbus.
At a glance
Found inSouth America
HabitatMountains, Grassland, Farmland
ColoursWhite, Brown, Black
SizeLarge
Length0.92–1.6 m
Weight130–155 kg
Legs4
Covered inWool
Lives inherds
Lives for15–25 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Domestic, from the Andes of South America.
Did you know
Spits mostly at each other, rarely at you, and only when cross.
A llama can carry about 25–30% of its body weight for 8–13 km.
Often confused with
- Alpaca
A llama is bigger than an alpaca, with a longer head and curved, banana-shaped ears. Alpacas are smaller and bred for their finer fibre.
Compare side by side - Camel
A llama is a South American relative of the camel but not a true camel, and it has no hump.
Compare side by side - Guanaco
The llama is the domesticated descendant of the guanaco; the guanaco’s colour varies very little.
Compare side by side
On these lists
Sources
Last reviewed
Play
Could you have guessed it?
A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
