Lama origin. The llama is a graceful animal of South America. Brief description, photos and videos. Reproduction and lifespan of a llama

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LLAMA(Lama), a genus of humpless South American animals of the camelid family (Camelidae) of the order Artiodactila. Despite the lack of a hump, llamas have many common features with camels: canine-shaped incisors in the upper jaw, calloused pads on the soles of cloven hooves (adaptation to rocky soil), ambling and features of chewing cud, which the animal spits when angered.

Lama

(L.glama) America's only native species used as beasts of burden. It is domesticated ca. 1000 BC Incas in what is now Peru.

The height of an adult male at the withers is 120 cm. The neck is long and thin, the head is relatively small, usually raised high, the ears are high and pointed. Domestic llamas have soft, shaggy, medium-length fur; color varies from pure white to black-brown and piebald.

The ancestors of the lamas lived on the high plateaus in the Andes. This species is still used to transport heavy loads over ridges along paths inaccessible to modern transport. Only males are loaded: one animal carries 2745 kg per day over a distance of approx. 24 km. If the pack is too heavy, the llama stops and sits down: no punishment will make her strain: she will simply spit stinking gum in the face of the annoying driver.

Female llamas are used only for breeding: they are never milked or loaded. Mating season is in September. After a pregnancy lasting 10-11 months, one calf is usually born. Its mother feeds it with milk for six weeks, and llamas reach sexual maturity at three years.

The Incas ate the meat of males, but only special occasions, and the females were never killed. During religious festivals, male cubs were sacrificed to the gods. Supreme God Viracocha was supposed to be brown, the lightning god Ilyapa was supposed to be piebald (to match the color of the stormy sky), and the sun god Inti was supposed to be white.

The oldest known ancestors of llamas and camels appeared approximately 40 million years ago in North America, from where they spread along the isthmuses to South America and Asia. By the end of the Pleistocene (about 1 million years ago), all North American camelids became extinct.

Alpaca

(L. pacos) a domestic animal bred by the Incas approximately 3,000 years ago as a source of wool. Nowadays, herds of alpacas of 100200 heads are kept mainly by Peruvian Indians on the high plateaus of the Andes. Externally, the animals resemble sheep. The fleece reaches a length of 60 cm; It produces a fabric highly valued throughout the world for its softness, insulating properties and durability.

Alpacas are slender, lightly built, with narrow pointed ears, a short shaggy tail, long legs And long neck y. Height at withers approx. 90 cm, color varies from piebald to yellowish-brown. Offspring are born in February March; newborns are covered with fur, sighted, and within a few minutes they rise to their feet and begin to suckle their mother.

Attempts to breed alpacas in other regions have not brought significant success. Although the meat of the animals is very tasty, they are not slaughtered because alpacas are too valuable a source of wool.

Guanaco

(L. gaunico) is very close to the llama and alpaca and may be their ancestor. Domesticated guanacos are used as pack animals on the plains of Pampa and Patagonia (Argentina), in the mountains of Peru, Bolivia and Chile, as well as on the islands near Cape Horn. Wild herds can still be found in the inaccessible highlands, but their numbers have declined greatly in historical times.

The height of the guanaco at the withers is approx. 120 cm. He has a long head with large protruding and pointed ears. The skin is shaggy, yellowish-brown, gradually becoming ash-gray on the neck and head. The animal is graceful, resembling a deer or antelope in proportions, but with a more elongated neck. Guanacos are excellent swimmers: they have been seen swimming from island to island in the Cape Horn area.

Mating season in August September; after a pregnancy lasting 11 months, a single cub is born. The mother feeds him with milk for 6 weeks, but allows him near the udder for the same amount of time, despite the fact that he begins to consume plant food.

Guanaco meat is highly prized by the Indians. Whole piles of bones of these animals have been discovered in Patagonia, possibly the remains of their mass slaughter by the aborigines or early Spanish settlers.

On ranches in the Andes, guanacos are bred for their fur, which is used to make clothing and jewelry. It resembles a fox and is used both in in kind, and painted. Newborn animals are slaughtered for smushki (skins), from which beautiful capes are sewn.

Vicuna,

or vigon ( Lama vicugna), the smallest species of the genus. It lives in the Andes up to 5200 m above sea level; the original range extended from Ecuador to Bolivia and Chile. Nowadays these are mainly domestic animals, but in some places wild herds remain.

Vicuñas have the same body proportions as other llamas, and the height at the withers is less than 90 cm. The animals roam in herds of 1012 females with young animals, headed by a leader male. He is constantly on guard and often watches the surrounding area from a high peak, emitting a shrill whistle at the first sign of danger.

The beautiful reddish fur of vicunas is formed by very thin and soft hair and is better in quality than chinchilla fur. Fleece produces excellent wool fabrics. Uncontrolled fishing has led to the almost complete extermination of the species in large parts of its range, and these animals are now strictly protected by the Peruvian government.

About 5 thousand years ago, in Peru, the Inca Indians tamed and domesticated the llama, a hardy and strong animal resembling a camel. The Incas were not familiar with the wheel, so they needed a beast of burden that could be used to transport heavy loads through the rugged mountain trails of the Andes. For transportation of goods, the Incas used only male llamas; females were exclusively engaged in procreation; they were not milked, did not eat their meat, and were not sacrificed.

Lama – artiodactyl mammal, from the suborder Callopods, belongs to the camelid family. In my own way appearance llamas really resemble camels, in the upper part of the jaw they have the same canine-like incisors, on the sole of their cloven hooves there are calloused pads, only llamas are smaller and they do not have a hump. Body length – 120-200 cm, tail – 20-25 cm, height at the withers – 120 cm, the animal weighs 75-80 kg. The neck is thin, the head is small, and the ears are high and pointed. Thanks to their fluttering eyelashes, the animals have a rather cute appearance. The wool is designed to protect them from the piercing mountain winds, so it is long, soft and very warm. The color of the coat is varied - from white to black-brown.

In South America there are 4 species of callosopods, of which domestic ones are llama and alpaca, and wild ones are guanaco and vicuna. The llama is used by humans mainly as a beast of burden, while the alpaca is valued for its long wool, which is used to make soft, warm clothes, blankets and rugs. All of them live in the highlands of the Andes in South America, at an altitude of about 3500 m, that is, at wildlife found in Bolivia, Chile and Peru, but quite often you can see animals in zoos.

Llamas are herbivores; in summer they eat grass, young leaves, bushes and lichens, preferring lush vegetation, which contains large amounts of moisture, vitamins and minerals, and in winter llamas feed on hay and grain. Animals happily take carrots, apples, bread, broccoli and orange peels from people's hands.

Lamas have an interesting character; they are quite friendly, intelligent and curious. But at the same time, they are distinguished by their stubbornness; if the load with which they are loaded is too heavy for the animal (that is, more than 50 kg), then it will sit on the ground and will not go anywhere; neither the carrot nor the stick methods will help until the load is removed – the animal will not budge. And if a llama is teased, she can spit chewing gum in the offender’s face (chewing gum is undigested food that the animal chews, swallows, and then returns to its mouth). But if you treat a llama politely, then she can touch a person’s face with her nose, and it’s pleasant to stroke the animal, which is why there is even such a therapeutic psychological direction - “llamatherapy.”

At the same time, within the family, llamas have quite fierce competition among males. Mature llamas have quite strong teeth, 2 fangs on top and 4 below, with which they bite and tear the skins of their competitors during a fight. Because of their strong teeth, in South America they are used as guards against coyotes and other predators for flocks of sheep, which llamas, as social animals, consider their offspring.

Puberty of llamas occurs at 3 years. The breeding season lasts from August to February. The female's pregnancy lasts 11 months and, as a rule, one baby is born. A couple of hours after birth, he is ready to stand on his feet. Milk feeding lasts about 4 months. The lifespan of llamas is 20 years, and good conditions they can live up to 30.

The main enemy of llamas is the puma (mountain lion, cougar) - one of the most large predators South America, which sneaks up on its prey from behind and suddenly jumps on its back, breaking its neck. Llamas are also hunted wild cats jaguarundis and Patagonian gray foxes.

Llamas are not an endangered species; they are actively bred in agriculture and zoos, but in the wild of Chile and Peru they are protected by the state and protected by law.

They tamed a strong and hardy animal - a llama. It was somewhat reminiscent of a camel, and the Incas, who did not know the wheel, needed a pack animal to transport goods across the Andean mountain trails. For this, only male animals were used; females were needed to produce offspring.

Lama belongs to the camelid family, suborder Callus. We will tell you about these interesting animals, the peculiarities of their behavior, and distribution. You will find out why the llama does not live in the savannah. This is a well-studied animal that still plays today important role In human life.

Where does the llama live?

Llamas are found over a wide area along the Andes. Small herds are found in Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Chile. The homeland of these animals is the Altiplano, a place in the southeast of Peru, as well as the west of Bolivia in the high Andes.

Llamas are animals that live on low plateaus that are covered with thickets of bushes, low-growing trees and grasses. They live quite comfortably in the Altiplano region, in temperate climatic conditions, and these animals avoid southern dry and desert areas. The llama does not live in the savannah. These areas do not provide them with enough food.

Lama: description

Like other representatives of the camelid family, the llama also has limbs, a rounded muzzle, on which protruding lower incisors and a forked upper lip are clearly visible. Unlike camels, native to Asia, llamas do not have humps.

The height at the withers of an adult animal is about one hundred and thirty centimeters; the weight of an adult male reaches one hundred and fifty kilograms.

Limbs

Despite the fact that animals belong to artiodactyls, their limbs have special structure. The soles of the cloven hooves are covered with calloused pads that move in different directions. Thanks to them, the animal feels very confident on the mountain slopes where the llama lives. On their feet, llamas' toes can move independently. This feature helps animals climb mountains at high speed.

Wool

The coat is long and shaggy, varying in color from white to black: beige, brown, golden, gray shades. The fur can be plain or with spots of different colors. The white llama is extremely rare. The predominant color is reddish-brown, diluted with white and yellowish splashes.

Structural features

The blood of these animals contains a large number of erythrocytes (red blood cells), and accordingly, the level of hemoglobin is increased. This ensures survival in the high-altitude, oxygen-poor mountain conditions where the llama lives.

Like other members of the family, llamas have rather interesting teeth: in adult animals, the upper incisors are developed, and the lower incisors are of normal length. The stomach consists of three chambers; when chewing food, chewing gum is formed.

Behavior

Llamas are social and herd animals that live in groups of up to twenty individuals. They usually include six females and the current year's offspring. The herd is led by a male who quite aggressively defends the interests of his family. He can pounce on a competitor and try to knock him to the ground by wrapping his long neck around the opponent's neck and biting his limbs.

The defeated male lies down on the ground, thereby demonstrating his complete defeat. Like other members of the family, llamas make roaring, rather low-pitched sounds when predators appear, warning other members of the family group of danger. Animals skillfully defend themselves from enemies: they bite, kick and even spit on animals that pose a threat to them. In captivity, the behavior of llamas resembles the habits of their wild relatives: males defend the territory to the last, even if it is fenced with a high fence.

Lamas accept sheep into their group and protect them as if they were little llamas. Aggression and protectiveness towards other animals allow llamas to be used as guards for goats, horses and sheep.

Nutrition

This very beautiful animal with soft fur and large eyes eats very little; for example, a horse eats almost eight times more feed. What does a llama eat? Plant food: low-growing shrubs, lichens. They happily eat evergreen parastephya, baccharis, and cereal plants: bromegrass, bentgrass, and munroa.

Lama is extremely fond of carrots, leaves white cabbage, broccoli, bread and orange peel. It is important that the food is juicy and fresh. This will allow the animal’s body to be saturated with minerals and trace elements that are necessary for the normal functioning of the body.

You should know that the diet largely depends on the gender and age of the llama. In addition, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, the female may change her taste preferences.

Llamas live in dry climates, and therefore get most of their moisture from food. They require two to three liters of water per day. The hay and grass consumed account for 1.8% of their body weight. Llamas kept at home are adapted to the food familiar to sheep and goats.

Reproduction

Llamas are polygamous animals. The male collects 5-6 females in a certain territory. He quite aggressively drives away other males from his harem who accidentally enter the area where the llama lives. Young males who are expelled from the harem form new herds, collecting their own harems, reaching maturity.

The mating season for llamas occurs at the end of summer or beginning of autumn. The female bears the offspring for almost a year and gives birth to one calf every year. Within an hour, the newborn can follow its mother. It weighs about ten kilograms and over the course of four months, while the female feeds it with milk, it quickly gains weight.

Most often, the female herself takes care of the offspring, providing their protection and proper care for the cub for up to a year. The male is only indirectly involved in " family life": protects the territory, provides food for the herd. on average they live up to fifteen years, but there are also “long-livers” who live up to twenty.

Meaning for humans

The llama is a pack animal that is capable of carrying loads that exceed its own weight. These animals are indispensable in mountainous areas, where they are used for transportation, which helps a lot local residents. With heavy bales they travel tens of kilometers a day.

In addition to transporting goods, for people who keep llamas, this animal is valuable in many aspects: they are sheared and their wool is used to make clothing. Coarse, thick and unusually warm llama wool is a very valuable material. Llamas are sheared every two years, getting about three kilograms of wool from one animal. For the local population, felting wool products is a significant source of income.

On farms, llamas are used to protect flocks of sheep from attacks by predators. Several llamas are introduced into a herd of sheep or goats and the llamas guard them, preventing attacks by cougars and coyotes.

Llama meat (only males) is used for food: it is a dietary product. The most delicious meat is considered to be the meat of animals no older than one year - it is very tender and juicy.

Status

Llamas are not an endangered species and these animals are quite widespread these days. There are about three million individuals in the world, more than 70% of them live in Bolivia.

Wild llama ancestor

Taxonomy

Russian name - guanaco
Latin name- Lama guanicoe
English name- Guanaco
Order - artiodactyla (Artiodactyla)
Suborder - callosopods (Tylopoda)
Family - camelids (Camelidae)
Rod - Lama (Lama)

Conservation status of the species

A rare animal, its numbers in nature are declining, but it is believed that the species is not in danger of extinction in the near future. Listed in the International Red Book - IUCN(LC) and Annex II of the Convention on International Trade in Wild Species of Animals and Plants - CITES II.

Species and man

The guanaco is one of two species of wild humpless camels in the New World. From time immemorial, people hunted this animal for its skin and meat. But the guanaco is not only an object of hunting, it is he who is the ancestor of the domestic humpless camel - the llama. The process of domestication is believed to have begun about 5,000 years ago. Tamed guanacos were used both as beasts of burden and sheared for wool.

The fact that the guanaco plays a very important role in people's lives is evidenced by the fact that in Argentina there is a city named after this animal - Guanaco.
Now there are few guanacos left in the wild, and the numbers of these animals continue to decline. The reason for this is that the pastures on which they graze were taken away from the guanacos. livestock, and poaching, which claims the lives of hundreds of animals every year.

On ranches in the Andes, guanacos are now bred in captivity for their fur, which is used for clothing and jewelry. It resembles fox and is used both natural and dyed.

Wild llama ancestor

Wild llama ancestor

Wild llama ancestor

Wild llama ancestor

Distribution and habitats

Guanaco is a wild humpless camel native to South America.

This species is very unpretentious in its choice of habitats: the animal can live both at sea level and in mountains up to 4300 meters; in arid steppes, savannas, bush thickets, in some places even in forests, so its historical range is quite large.

At the beginning of the 20th century, guanacos lived across a vast territory of South America - in the steppes of the Gran Chaco (Argentina), in the savannas and deserts of Southern Patagonia, on the coast and even on Tierra del Fuego. They have now disappeared from most of their range, surviving only in the Andes, from southern Peru through Chile and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego. There is a small population in the mountains of western Paraguay.

Appearance and morphology

The animal is slender, light in build, resembling a deer or antelope in proportions, but with a more elongated neck. The long neck of the guanaco serves as a balancer when walking and running. Body length 170–225 cm, tail length 15–25 cm, height at withers 90–130 cm; weight - 115–140 kg. Like other calloused animals, the guanaco has two-fingered limbs with small, blunt claws. The feet are narrow, mobile, deeply divided and form elastic calloused pads. On inside the legs are clearly visible “chestnuts” - the rudiments of the disappeared fingers, characteristic of the “progenitors” of callouseds.

At the guanaco big eyes with long eyelashes and rather large movable ears. The coat is long, thick, and the color of the upper back and neck is red-brown. The belly, legs and neck below are almost white, the color boundary between dark and light colors is sharply expressed. On the “face” of the guanaco, the fur is dark and the ears are light gray. This animal differs from the vicuña, whose muzzle and ears are brownish (the color of the rest of the body is similar). Females are somewhat smaller than males.

Like all calloused guanacos, the guanaco has a three-chamber stomach, the sections of which differ significantly from the similar sections of the four-chamber stomach of ruminant ungulates. The structure of the genital organs of guanacos (and callouses in general) also has a number of features inherent only to representatives of this order. Another feature characteristic especially of humpless high-mountain camels is oval-shaped red blood cells, in contrast to the disc-shaped ones characteristic of the inhabitants of the plains. The fact is that when the body is dehydrated (and camelids are capable of for a long time do without water) the blood thickens, and oval red blood cells pass more easily into narrow capillaries, without reducing the level of gas exchange in the organs.

Lifestyle and social organization

Like other ungulates, guanacos are characterized by polyphasic activity. During the dark time of the day, animals rest; at dawn, activity begins, which during the day is replaced several times by a period of rest. In the morning and evening, guanacos go to watering holes.

These animals are capable of reaching speeds of up to 56 km/h, however, having a significant advantage over horses in the highlands, they are significantly inferior to them in the valleys.

Guanacos live in small groups of 2 types: firstly, harems of females with cubs, headed by one adult male. The number of animals in such groups ranges from 3 to 20. It is estimated that only 18% of adult males belong to harem groups. Secondly, bachelor groups of unstable composition, which flock to young animals who did not have time to acquire a harem, and aging animals who have already lost the company of the fair sex.

The guanaco, like the vicuña, has interesting feature- they empty their bowels in certain places, for example, on paths, hills, etc. Large “signal” piles of manure are formed, which are visited by members different groups. Such “signal” heaps exist for many years; the Indians know their locations and collect manure, which is fuel for local residents.

Guanacos stay mainly in the mountains, rising to the snow line, but avoiding snow fields; in the dry season they descend into wet valleys. Sometimes these animals undertake real migrations.
Main enemy Guanaco in nature is a puma. This cat hunts at dusk, and you can only escape from it by running away, noticing the predator in time. Therefore, even when the guanaco is resting, one of the group members is always on alert and, noticing danger, gives a signal. However, often a hesitant animal, most often little cub, ends up in the teeth of a puma.

Nutrition and feeding behavior

Guanaco is a very unpretentious animal. Like all herbivores - inhabitants of harsh places, it feeds on grass, leaves and twigs of bushes, and can go for a long time without water. However, when possible, he drinks regularly, and not only fresh, but also brackish water.

Guanacos are very careful animals; while grazing, one of the group members is sure to look around. When there is danger, it makes a loud sound, and the entire herd takes flight. In places where they are disturbed, animals hastily hide from view, but where they are protected, curiosity often keeps them from fleeing, and then they allow a person to come close to them.

Vocalization

Guanacos are quite silent and can snort. In case of danger, the male guarding his group makes a loud sound, and the entire herd immediately takes to a hasty flight.

Reproduction and raising offspring

The guanaco's rut ​​lasts from August (in the north of its range) to February (in the south). During this period, fights occur between males for possession of females. Like all camelids, guanacos rise on their hind legs, crush each other with their necks, bite, beat with their front legs, and spit saliva and stomach contents. Mating of guanacos, like camels, occurs in a lying position.

Pregnancy lasts 11 months. One, very rarely two, cubs are born. The development of babies is similar in all camelids. Milk feeding lasts 4 months, sometimes up to six months. Females become sexually mature by 2 years, males later.

Lifespan

The lifespan of guanacos is about 20 years; in captivity they live to almost 30.

Keeping animals at the Moscow Zoo

At the zoo, a female guanaco lives in the same enclosure with other humpless camels - a llama and a vicuna. The aviary is located in the Old Zoo area immediately near the entrance, on the right. During the warm season, capybaras also live here, and either the smallest swans, coscorobes, or black-necked swans swim in the water. All these animals belong to the fauna of South America and live side by side quite peacefully. The company of humpless camels is “female”; it is quite friendly, despite the animals belonging to different types. They eat next to each other, rest next to each other and understand each other perfectly, since the expressive poses and movements of these animals are similar.

Of the entire company, the guanaco is the oldest, more than 20 years old. Favorite place She has a large stone slab-raised slab in the far right corner. Here our “lady” likes to stand for a long time and look at the street: at people, transport. Or he lies, surveying his aviary and pond with many birds.

The guanaco survives our Moscow winters, even the coldest ones, without problems - neither winds nor frosts penetrate their warm skin. But the animal does not like deep snow. He prefers to walk along trails, so in winter most of the enclosure is occupied by a huge untouched snowdrift.

The guanaco is very unpretentious in food - it eats hay, (in summer - grass), branches. The diet is varied with various vegetables, oats, sprouted wheat, and corn. If a guanaco comes closer to the moat, to people, this does not mean at all that it is hungry - the animal just wants to communicate, everyone needs variety in life. Therefore, do not rush to throw her a piece - even delicious apples and carrots in large quantities can cause harm, and soft bread is completely dangerous for all ungulates. A male guanaco who lived in this enclosure several years ago died after gorging himself on such “gifts.” Don't feed our animals, let them live long and delight everyone with their good disposition and healthy appearance!

Domain: Eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type: Chordates

Class: Mammals

Squad: Artiodactyls

Family: Camelids

Genus: Llamas

Story

The ancestors of animals lived in North and South America millions of years ago. It is known that llamas were domesticated about four thousand years ago by South American Indians - residents of Peru. The ancestors were guanacos who lived (and still live) in the mountains of Peru called the Andes.

The Indians immediately noticed that these animals could make their life much easier: provide good wool, meat, and transport heavy loads. And in this way, llamas, already tamed to people, for a long time before the appearance of horses in South America in the last millennium, were the only assistants in the transportation of goods.

Nowadays, llamas include the llamas themselves and their ancestors - guanacos, who live in the wild to this day in South America.

Where does the llama live?

Llamas are found over a wide area along the Andes. Small herds are found in Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Chile. The homeland of these animals is the Altiplano, a place in the southeast of Peru, as well as the west of Bolivia in the high Andes.

Llamas are animals that live on low plateaus that are covered with thickets of bushes, low-growing trees and grasses. They live quite comfortably in the Altiplano region, in temperate climatic conditions, and these animals avoid the southern dry and desert areas. The llama does not live in the savannah. These areas do not provide them with enough food.

Description

The llama is a herbivore, adapted to life high in the mountains. It reaches a height at the withers of 120–130 centimeters, and a weight of 70–80 kilograms. Thanks to the long neck, the height to the top of the head reaches up to two meters! The color can be very diverse: white, gray, dark, brown, golden, with or without spots. They live for about 20 years. In llamas you can also notice an elongated thin neck, large eyes and pointed ears.

Unlike camels, our Andean inhabitants are distinguished by the fact that they lack a hump. Also, unlike their relatives, they are usually found in cool places or mountains because they have double hooves with padded toes adapted for moving in the mountains. But they, just like camels, can start spitting if they don’t like something.

These are herd animals, so they need to be kept with at least two or three more individuals.

Females reach sexual maturity in the first year of life, and males in the third. The male has two, three or more females in his harem, which usually give birth to one cub after 11–12 months of pregnancy.

Descendants of the inhabitants of the Andes are also found in captivity in North and South America, Europe, and Australia. Thanks to their adaptability to life in the mountains, they became widespread in the Alps (Europe). They are also often found in lowlands in temperate latitudes.

Kinds

The llama genus includes 3 species, two of which were domesticated several thousand years ago - llamas (Lat. Lama glama) and alpacas (Lat. Lama pacos), and the guanaco (Lat. Lama guanicoe) is still a wild species. All types of llamas are found only in South America.

1st type – Lama (lat. Lama glama)

These animals were first domesticated by the Andean Indians and began to play an important role in the development of cattle breeding.

Before horses and sheep were imported into South America, the llama was the only large domestic animal used for carrying heavy loads. A three-year-old male llama is capable of carrying a pack weighing up to 50 kilograms (this is with his own weight of no more than 75 kilograms) and walking a distance of 25 kilometers with it in a day. In mountainous regions at an altitude of over 2700 meters, llamas are still widely used as pack transport. This is not the most major representative genus Lam from the camelid family. The animal’s body length varies from 120 to 200 centimeters, weight – 75-80 kilograms, and height at the withers – about 120 centimeters. On a thin neck there is a small head with high pointed ears.

Llamas and camels have many common features, except for one thing - they do not have a hump. Just like camels, llamas, when irritated, spit chewed cud at the offender. Llamas have become famous throughout the world for their soft wool, although it is still inferior in quality to alpaca wool. The animal can be of a wide variety of colors - from almost white to black-brown.

Only males are used for cargo transportation, females are intended exclusively for reproduction, and they are never milked.

2nd species – Alpaca (lat. Vicugna pacos)

Alpacas are another type of llama. They were the first of the two species to be domesticated, about 6,000 years ago by the Indians of Peru.

They are bred in the mountainous regions of South America (Andes) solely for their wool. Most alpacas live in Peru, although their habitat extends through Ecuador, southern Peru, northern Chile and western Bolivia.

The current population of alpacas is about 3 million individuals. They are shorn once every 2 years, removing from each animal a little more than 1 kilogram of the beautiful fine wool for which they are so famous. Warm and soft blankets, clothes and rugs are made from it. Alpacas are slightly smaller than llamas. Their height does not exceed 1 meter, their weight is no more than 70 kilograms, and their fur is longer (15-20 centimeters) and softer than that of llamas.

There are 2 types of alpacas that differ from each other only in the appearance of their wool - these are Suri and Huacaya. In the former it is long and looks like pigtails, while in the latter it is softer. Their wool has similar properties to sheep's, but is much lighter. In addition, it is not covered with sebum and things made from it remain clean for a long time.

Like all representatives of the Llama genus, alpacas are herbivores, but, unlike llamas, they lack front teeth, so they are forced to pinch grass with their lips and use their side teeth when chewing.

And the last, third species is Guanaco (lat. Lama guanicoe)

Its name comes from the Quechua language - wanaku. The guanaco is a wild relative of camels that still survives in the Andes (from southern Peru through Chile and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego) at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level. A small population of these animals also lives in Paraguay.

They run very well and can reach speeds of up to 56 km/h. Such speeds are necessary in order to save your life from various predators, for example, maned wolves, cougars or wild dogs.

Guanacos live in small herds of up to 20 animals. An adult male rules the herd, expelling all growing males older than 6-12 months from his harem. They start living alone or join men's groups.

The breeding season begins in August and lasts until February. For possession of a female, males have to fight with another contender. It is somewhat reminiscent of the fight between camels during the rutting period, when they rise on their hind legs and begin to bite each other, as well as kick with their front legs. All " hand-to-hand combat"is accompanied by spitting out the contents of the stomach. Gestation lasts 11 months, after which only one cub is born, very rarely two. The lactation period lasts 4 months. Guanacos live a long time - about 20 years, and in captivity even longer - about 30.

Local residents hunt these animals for their valuable wool, skin and delicious meat Therefore, unlike llamas and alpacas, the number of guanacos is rapidly declining. But in some countries, such as Peru and Chile, these animals are under state protection.

Lifestyle and behavior

Like camels, llamas are intelligent and sociable animals that lead a herd lifestyle. They are quite harmless, but if you anger them, for example, by shouldering an unbearable burden, they will immediately show their independent character. A dissatisfied llama will hiss, spit, and push, but the most effective behavior in such cases is a lying strike.

Neither carrot nor stick can move a tired and irritated llama, and the only way out of this situation is to transfer part of the luggage to another animal.
Since ancient times, more than five thousand years ago, llamas have become indispensable assistants to the Indians of Central America in transporting heavy loads. Endurance and strong legs still help these strong pack animals navigate the narrow paths of mountain passes, carrying luggage weighing about fifty kilograms.

To acquire such valuable assistants, the Indians of Peru domesticated the guanacos who lived on the high plateaus of the Andes. Two thousand years earlier, the third representatives of the llama family, alpacas, also became domesticated. However, they were (and still are) raised not for hard work, but for their beautiful, warm and durable wool. Llamas and alpacas are among the very first domesticated animals in human history.

Resistance to thirst and unpretentiousness in food have made llamas an important part of the life of South American peoples. However, despite the fact that the llama is capable of walking a distance of about thirty kilometers in a day, it does not have the strength of oxen, camels or horses, and therefore cannot be used to transport adults or heavy carts. And although its Inca owners invented the wheel, it is unlikely that at least one llama in its entire history has transported in a harness something heavier than an ordinary wheelbarrow.

Like sheep and coarse cattle, llamas chew gum and can spit it in the face of the offender, as if saying: “Leave me alone!” However, this is quite rare, and in general llamas are wonderful companions for their owners. They are calm, friendly, easy to train, and even a child can handle them.

Nutrition

As food, llamas use herbaceous vegetation, leaves and branches of bushes, young growth of trees, and are especially fond of ferns. The need for food in these animals is minimal compared to other closely related representatives of the fauna: an adult llama consumes no more than 3 kg of hay per day. In addition, they are very picky eaters. In the absence of their usual food, llamas can eat vegetables, root vegetables, fruits, as well as moss and lichen. At home, animals' favorite treats are carrots, cabbage, apples, and bread. Domestic llamas also need constant access to fresh water.

Llama breeding

Llamas are polygamous animals. The male collects a harem of 5-6 females in a certain territory, then aggressively drives away all other males who accidentally enter the selected area. Young males expelled from the harem form herds while they are still young to breed, but they soon form harems of their own as they reach maturity.

Llamas are capable of producing fertile offspring when crossed with other members of the genus. They mate in late summer or early autumn. After mating, the female llama bears the offspring for about 360 days and gives birth to one cub almost every year. The newborn is able to follow its mother about an hour after birth. He weighs about 10 kg and gradually gains weight over four months as the female feeds him milk. At the age of two years, young llamas give birth.

Basically, the female llama takes care of the offspring, providing protection and care for the cub up to one year. The male llama is only indirectly involved; he defends the territory to provide food for his herd of females and young individuals. Males constantly compete with other males for the same food resources and protect the harem from attack by predators and other males. When the young llamas are about one year old, the male chases them away. Domesticated llamas can live more than 20 years, but most live about 15 years.

Meaning for humans

The llama is a pack animal that is capable of carrying loads that exceed its own weight. These animals are indispensable in mountainous areas, where they are used for transportation, which greatly helps local residents. With heavy bales they travel tens of kilometers a day.

In addition to transporting goods, for people who keep llamas, this animal is valuable in many aspects: they are sheared and their wool is used to make clothing. Coarse, thick and unusually warm llama wool is a very valuable material. Llamas are sheared every two years, getting about three kilograms of wool from one animal. For the local population, felting wool products is a significant source of income.

On farms, llamas are used to protect flocks of sheep from attacks by predators. Several llamas are introduced into a herd of sheep or goats and the llamas guard them, preventing attacks by cougars and coyotes. Llama meat (only males) is used for food: it is a dietary product. The most delicious meat is considered to be the meat of animals not older than one year - it is very tender and juicy.

1. The homeland of llamas is Peru (South America).
2. Llamas were domesticated by Andean Indians around 1000 BC.
3. Llamas spit when angered.
4. Llamas belong to the camelid family, but unlike camels they do not have a hump, but otherwise they are similar.
5. Male llamas are used as transport animals for transporting heavy loads across mountain ranges along paths that are inaccessible to transport (they transport 27-45 kg of cargo over a distance of about 24 km per day). If the weight exceeds more than 50 kg, the llama simply stops and sits down, and if the mahout forces it to rise, the llama will simply spit in his face.
6. Female llamas are never milked or used as vehicle, they are used only for reproduction.
7. Another amazing property lam – their cleanliness. The excrement of these animals is always collected in one place, away from fields, paths, and grazing areas (feeders). This is explained by the fact that in the wild, llamas thus masked their location from dangerous predators. Among the local population, mainly Bolivians and Peruvians, dried llama droppings serve as excellent fuel.