An overloaded llama will simply refuse to move. These animals often lie down on the ground and they may spit, hiss, or even kick at their owners until their burden is lessened.
Llamas graze on grass and, like cows, regurgitate their food and chew it as cud. They chomp on such wads for some time before swallowing them for complete digestion. Llamas can survive by eating many different kinds of plants, and they need little water. These attributes make them durable and dependable even in sparse mountainous terrain. Llamas contribute much more than transportation to the human communities in which they live.
Leather is made from their hides, and their wool is crafted into ropes, rugs, and fabrics. Llama excrement is dried and burned for fuel. Even in death, llamas can serve their human owners—some people slaughter them and eat their meat. All rights reserved. Llamas, after a summer haircut, photographed at Lincoln Children's Zoo in Nebraska.
Common Name: Llama. Scientific Name: Lama glama. Type: Mammals. Diet: Herbivore. Size: Height at the shoulder: 47 inches. Weight: pounds. A visit from a llama can provide an emotional lift for patients and residents. The therapy can help heal or just provide some enjoyment and entertainment. Llamas are also very popular as pack animals in the western mountain regions of the U. They adapt well to the climate and they are known for their low-cost maintenance.
Llamas serve well as durable pack animals. Wool production is another common use of the llama, but the market for llama wool in the U. Another popular use of llamas is to guard herds of sheep. Llamas are very territorial and have been proven to reduce coyote and wild dog predation on sheep herds. The success rate of reducing coyote predation was noted. William L. Franklin and Kelly J. Powell, Iowa State University. The average lifespan of a llama is 20 years, but can vary between 15 and 30 years.
Breeding of llamas can start with females at 18 to 24 months. Female llamas are induced ovulators, so they ovulate within 24 to 36 hours after mating. The baby llamas are called crias. The newborn crias weigh approximately25 to 30 pounds, but their weight can vary between 18 to 40 pounds. Crias begin walking within an hour of birth and begin nursing within one to two hours. How to Keep Ice Cold in the Desert. Desert Survival Skills. Get the Best Hotel and Motel Rates.
DesertUSA Newsletter -- We send articles on hiking, camping and places to explore, as well as animals, wildflower reports, plant information and much more. Sign up below or read more about the DesertUSA newsletter here. It's Free. Enter E-Mail address:. Enter Email:. Historically, in the wild, they were found in the Andes Mountains of South America, where they were farmed and domesticated for hundreds of years for meat, milk, wool, and for use as pack animals.
They are now farmed in many countries worldwide. Both coats are used for weaving into fibers. Llamas are social animals and live in herds.
Read on to learn about the llama. Llamas have a typical camel-like body shape, but they lack the humps of the Bactrian and dromedary camel. They have long necks, slender limbs, and rounded muzzles. They have protruding lower incisors front teeth , and their upper lip is split. Partly because they have been domesticated for their wool, the llama can be found in a wide variety of colors, such as white, brown, gray, black, or piebald.
One common pattern is reddish-brown fur with mottled patches of yellow or white. Llamas have been domesticated for hundreds of years, however, they evolved for living in high altitudes as high as 13, ft 4, m. Their tendency to live in groups means they have developed several interesting behaviors.
The native habitat of llamas is the cold and dry Andes Mountains, where they live in rugged mountaintops. However, in modern times they can be found in a wide range of habitats, including grasslands and farmlands.
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