Llamas are a domestic member of the camelid family. They originate from the Andes region in South America where they were domesticated from the wild vicuña. They are well adapted to living at high altitudes as they have oval-shaped red blood cells and lots of haemoglobin in their blood allowing them to live in areas where there is less oxygen.
They are a highly social animal and prefer to live in groups called ‘herds’. Farmers often use llamas as guardians for their sheep flocks as llamas are large, can be defensive and make loud shrill calls to alert if danger is present. Llamas also spit for defence and to establish social dominance. Their diet mostly consists of grasses, and only having lower front teeth makes them very efficient grazers. The average lifespan for a llama is around 15-20 years.
