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No federal permit to keepLlama
Lama glama
Mammals › Hoofed farm and wild mammals (Artiodactyla) › Camelidae (Camels, llamas and alpacas)
The llama (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈʎama] or [ˈʝama]; Lama glama) is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the pre-Columbian era. Llamas are social animals and live with others as a herd.
Care at a glance
Species-specific values
Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.
| Maintenance dry matter intake | 1.8–2 % body mass per day Healthy nonreproductive adults; account for body condition and forage quality. | 140 |
| Maintenance forage crude protein | 10–14 % dry matter Healthy nonreproductive adults. | 140 |
| Maintenance forage total digestible nutrients | 50–55 % Healthy nonreproductive adults. | 140 |
| Pregnancy lactation total digestible nutrients | 60–65 % Higher-energy forage requirement reported by source. | 140 |
Care guide
Camels, llamas and alpacas
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Grassland, desert and mountains. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Pasture with fencing and shelter; llamas and alpacas need companions of their own kind.
- Shearing once a year for alpacas and llamas.
Sources 140
Diet
- Grass hay and pasture with camelid minerals.
Sources 140
Social life
- Herd animals; never keep one alone.
Sources 140
Health watch
- Heat stress, parasites (including meningeal worm) and berserk male syndrome in bottle-raised males.
Sources 140
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
Their wool is soft and contains only a small amount of lanolin.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Llama” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
Researched for this exact species, not its family. Good care copies these conditions.123
| Where it lives | Llamas are domesticated and have no established native wild population. Traditional managed habitat is Andean highland pasture, particularly the Altiplano of Peru and Bolivia, with grasses and low shrubs around 2,300–4,000 m. |
| Ground it lives on | Highland pasture soil with grasses and low shrubs |
| Climate | The northern Altiplano is described as reasonably temperate and mountainous, while the southern portion is drier, desert-like, and inhospitable; no specific temperatures or humidity values are supplied. |
| Social life | Llamas are social animals that live with others in herds. |
| Behavior to plan for | Llamas live socially in herds and can learn simple tasks after a few repetitions. As pack animals they can carry roughly 25 to 30% of their body weight for 5 to 8 miles. |
What this means for care
- Use llama-specific domestic husbandry; guanaco wild facts are not evidence for this species.
- Provide highland-style grazing and walking space adapted to local conditions.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 65°F (up to 77°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 29°F (down to 25°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 41–55°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 54–71% on average (driest month about 49%) |
| Rainfall | about 295 mm a year, spread fairly evenly |
| Winters | Cool to cold winters (lows around 29°F) in much of its native range. Seasonal slowdown may be relevant, but species-specific biology determines whether brumation or hibernation occurs. |
Measured at 112 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
Profile
Profile
Researched for this exact species. Sources are listed under In the wild above.
History
Llamas descend from camelid ancestors that originated in North America and later spread into South America. They became important domesticated animals of Andean cultures long before European contact.
Keeper tips
- Avoid routinely housing a llama as an isolated animal because the source describes the species as social and herd-living.
- Use repetition in training because simple tasks can be learned after only a few repetitions.
- Recognize their adaptation to high-elevation Andean terrain.
- When used as pack animals, the supplied source gives a load of about 25 to 30% of body weight over 5 to 8 miles.
Behaviors reported
- Lives socially in herds.
- Learns simple tasks after a few repetitions.
- Can function as a pack animal.
Unique adaptations
- Able to inhabit Andean elevations up to about 4,000 m.
- Can carry approximately one-quarter to nearly one-third of its body weight as a pack animal.
Remarkable facts
- The llama is a domesticated South American camelid.
- It has long been used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures.
- Its wool is soft and contains relatively little lanolin.
- Camelid ancestors are thought to have originated in North America before migrating to South America during the Great American Interchange.
- Camelids became extinct in North America by the end of the last ice age.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The llama (; or; Lama glama) is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the pre-Columbian era. Llamas are social animals and live with others as a herd. Their wool is soft and contains only a small amount of lanolin. Llamas can learn simple tasks after a few repetitions. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Social life and communication | Llamas will vocalize to warn the herd of predators and to express vexation. — Animal Diversity Web |
| Wild diet | Llamas browse on low shrubs, lichens, and mountain vegetation. — Animal Diversity Web |
| Behavior | Llamas are gregarious and highly social, living in groups of up to 20 individuals. — Animal Diversity Web |
| Reproduction | Male llamas gather a harem of about 6 females into a designated territorial region and then aggressively drive away all other male llamas of breeding age who come into the area. — Animal Diversity Web |
| Lifespan | Well cared for domesticated individuals can live in excess of 20 years but most live for about 15 years. — Animal Diversity Web |
| Appearance and size | Llamas, like other camelids have long necks, limbs, rounded muzzles, protruding lower incisors, and a cleft upper lip. — Animal Diversity Web |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Maximum recorded lifespan
Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter. The AnAge record comes from an animal in human care.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Development and application of camelid molecular cytogenetic tools Avila F et al., The Journal of heredity 2014
- Polycystic liver in two adult llamas Watanabe TTN et al., Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation: official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc 2019
- Experimental infection of South American camelids with bluetongue virus serotype 8 Schulz C et al., Veterinary microbiology 2012
- A serologic survey of viral infections in captive ungulates in Turkish zoos Yeşilbağ K et al., Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine: official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians 2011
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 33 on PubMed → 170
Sources for this sheet
- AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) Peer-reviewed researchCurated, referenced longevity and life-history records for thousands of species; maximum lifespans are often from zoo animals.
- Myhrvold et al. (2015). An amniote life-history database. Ecology 96: 3109 Peer-reviewed researchPeer-reviewed compilation of life-history data for over 21,000 birds, mammals and reptiles.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of llamas and alpacas Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
- Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
