:Llama

File:A Quechua girl and her Llama.jpg girl with a llama in Cusco, Peru]]

File:Llama in ueno zoo - 2009 Aug.webm, 2009]]

Lamoids, or llamas (as they are more generally known as a group), consist of the vicuña (Lama vicugna), guanaco (Lama guanicoe), Suri alpaca, and Huacaya alpaca (Lama pacos), and the domestic llama (Lama glama). Guanacos and vicuñas live in the wild, while llamas and alpacas exist only as domesticated animals.{{Cite book |title=Wonders of Llamas |isbn=0-396-07460-X |first=Roger |last=Perry |year=1977 |publisher=Dodd, Mead & Company |page=[https://archive.org/details/wondersofllamas00perr/page/7 7] |url=https://archive.org/details/wondersofllamas00perr/page/7 }} Although early writers compared llamas to sheep, their similarity to the camel was soon recognized. They were included in the genus Camelus along with alpaca in the Systema Naturae (1758) of Carl Linnaeus.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zb9zbY-JfBUC|isbn=0-8138-0397-7|title=Medicine and Surgery of South American Camelids|author=Murray E. Fowler|year=1998|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|page=1}} They were, however, separated by Georges Cuvier in 1800 under the name of lama along with the guanaco.{{cite web|title=Lama|url=https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=624943#|publisher=Integrated Taxonomic Information System|access-date=5 January 2013}} DNA analysis has confirmed that the guanaco is the wild ancestor of the llama, while the vicuña is the wild ancestor of the alpaca.{{cite journal|first =Dr Jane|last =Wheeler|author2=Miranda Kadwell |author3=Matilde Fernandez |author4=Helen F. Stanley |author5=Ricardo Baldi |author6=Raul Rosadio |author7=Michael W. Bruford |date=December 2001|title =Genetic analysis reveals the wild ancestors of the llama and the alpaca|journal =Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences|volume =268|issue =1485|pages =2575–2584|id= 0962-8452 (Paper) 1471–2954 (Online)|doi = 10.1098/rspb.2001.1774|pmid =11749713|pmc =1088918 }}

The genus Lama is, with the two species of true camels, the sole existing representatives of a very distinct section of the Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates) called Tylopoda, or "bump-footed", from the peculiar bumps on the soles of their feet. The Tylopoda consists of a single family, the Camelidae, and shares the order Artiodactyla with the Suina (pigs), the Tragulina (chevrotains), the Pecora (ruminants), and the Whippomorpha (hippos and cetaceans, which belong to Artiodactyla from a cladistic, if not traditional, standpoint). The Tylopoda have more or less affinity to each of the sister taxa, standing in some respects in a middle position between them, sharing some characteristics from each, but in others showing special modifications not found in any of the other taxa.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}}

File:Domestic llama (2009-05-19).jpg

The 19th-century discoveries of a vast and previously unexpected extinct Paleogene fauna of North America, as interpreted by paleontologists Joseph Leidy,{{cite web | title=Mixson's Bone Bed | website=Florida Museum | date=September 30, 2013 | url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-vertebrate-fossils/sites/mixsons-bone-bed/ | access-date=March 26, 2024}} Edward Drinker Cope,{{cite web | title=The Camels | website=U.S. National Park Service | date=October 12, 2021 | url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-camels.htm | access-date=March 26, 2024}} and Othniel Charles Marsh, aided understanding of the early history of this family.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}} Llamas were not always confined to South America; abundant llama-like remains were found in Pleistocene deposits in the Rocky Mountains and in Central America. Some of the fossil llamas were much larger than current forms. Some species remained in North America during the last ice ages. North American llamas are categorized as an extinct genus, Hemiauchenia. Llama-like animals would have been a common sight 25,000 years ago in modern-day California, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Missouri, and Florida.{{cite book|last=Kurtén|first=Björn|title=Pleistocene Mammals of North America|year=1980|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=New York|isbn=0231037333|author2=Anderson, Elaine |page=307}}

The camelid lineage has a good fossil record. Camel-like animals have been traced back through early Miocene forms from the thoroughly differentiated, modern species. Their characteristics became more general, and they lost those that distinguished them as camelids; hence, they were classified as ancestral artiodactyls.{{cite journal |title=Evolutionary Transitions in the Fossil Record of Terrestrial Hoofed Mammals |last=Prothero |first=Donald R |date=April 16, 2009 |journal=Evolution: Education and Outreach |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=289–302 |publisher= 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Part of Springer Nature. |doi=10.1007/s12052-009-0136-1 |s2cid=32344744 |doi-access=free }} No fossils of these earlier forms have been found in the Old World, indicating that North America was the original home of camelids and that the ancestors of Old World camels crossed over via the Bering Land Bridge from North America. The formation of the Isthmus of Panama three million years ago allowed camelids to spread to South America as part of the Great American Interchange, where they evolved further. Meanwhile, North American camelids died out at the end of the Pleistocene.{{cite journal |last1=Grayson |first1=Donald K. |year=1991 |title=Late Pleistocene mammalian extinctions in North America: Taxonomy, chronology, and explanations |journal=Journal of World Prehistory |volume= 5|issue=3 |pages=193–231 |publisher=Springer Netherlands |doi=10.1007/BF00974990|s2cid=162363534 }}

File:Llama skeleton at MAV-USP.jpg

A full-grown llama can reach a height of {{convert|1.7|to|1.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} at the top of the head and can weigh between {{convert|130|and|272|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.[https://bluemoonranch.net/frequently-asked-questions/ Frequently Asked Questions - Blue Moon Ranch Alpacas] At maturity, males can weigh 94.74 kg, while females can weigh 102.27 kg.{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/846966060|title=South American camelids research. Volume 2|date=2008|publisher=Wageningen Academic Publishers| last1=Frank | first1=Eduardo | last2=Antonini | first2=Marco | last3=Toro | first3=Oscar|isbn=978-90-8686-648-9|location=Wageningen, Netherlands|oclc=846966060}} At birth, a baby llama (called a cria) can weigh between {{convert|9|and|14|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. Llamas typically live for 15 to 25 years, with some individuals surviving 30 years or more.

{{cite web

|title=Llama characteristics

|date=25 June 2007

|website=Nose-n-Toes

|url=http://www.nose-n-toes.com/characts.htm

}}

{{cite web

|title=Llama facts 1

|date=25 June 2007

|website=Llamas of Atlanta

|url=http://www.llamasofatlanta.com/llama_facts.htm

|access-date=5 August 2014

|archive-date=17 August 2016

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817045228/http://www.llamasofatlanta.com/llama_facts.htm

|url-status=dead

}}

{{cite web

|title=Llama FAQ

|date=25 June 2007

|website=Twin Creeks Llamas

|url=http://www.twincreeksllamas.com/faq/FAQs.htm

}}

{{better source needed|sources, plural: all three are unathoritative breeders|date=December 2019}}

The following characteristics apply especially to llamas. Dentition of adults: incisors {{sfrac|1|3}} canines {{sfrac|1|1}}, premolars {{sfrac|2|2}}, molars {{sfrac|3|3}}; total 32. In the upper jaw, a compressed, sharp, pointed laniariform incisor near the hinder edge of the premaxilla is followed in the male at least by a moderate-sized, pointed, curved true canine in the anterior part of the maxilla.{{cite web |title=Dental anatomy of llamas |website=www.vivo.colostate.edu |publisher=Colorado State University |url=http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/pregastric/llamapage.html |access-date=8 March 2012 |archive-date=29 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429144233/http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/pregastric/llamapage.html |url-status=dead }} The isolated canine-like premolar that follows in the camels is not present. The teeth of the molar series, which are in contact with each other, consist of two very small premolars (the first almost rudimentary) and three broad molars, generally constructed like those of Camelus. In the lower jaw, the three incisors are long, spatulate, and procumbent; the outer ones are the smallest. Next to these is a curved, suberect canine, followed after an interval by an isolated minute and often deciduous simple conical premolar; then a contiguous series of one premolar and three molars, which differ from those of Camelus in having a small accessory column at the anterior outer edge.

File:Llama with numbers.svg

The skull generally resembles that of Camelus, with a larger brain cavity and orbits and less-developed cranial ridges due to its smaller size. The nasal bones are shorter and broader and are joined by the premaxilla.

Vertebrae:

• cervical 7,
• dorsal 12,
• lumbar 7,
• sacral 4,
• caudal 15 to 20.

The ears are rather long and slightly curved inward, characteristically known as "banana" shaped. There is no dorsal hump. The feet are narrow, the toes being more separated than in the camels, each having a distinct plantar pad. The tail is short, and the fiber is long, woolly, and soft.

In essential structural characteristics, as well as in general appearance and habits, all the animals of this genus very closely resemble each other, so whether they should be considered as belonging to one, two, or more species is a matter of controversy among naturalists.

The question is complicated by the circumstances of most individuals who have come under observation, either in a completely or partially domesticated state. Many are also descended from ancestors previously domesticated, a state that tends to produce a certain amount of variation from the original type. The four forms commonly distinguished by the inhabitants of South America are recognized as distinct species, though there are difficulties in defining their distinctive characteristics.

These are:

• the llama, Lama glama (Linnaeus);
• the alpaca, Lama pacos (Linnaeus);
• the guanaco (from the Quechua huanaco), Lama guanicoe (Müller); and
• the vicuña, Lama vicugna (Molina)

The llama and alpaca are only known in the domestic state and are variable in size and of many colors, often white, brown, or piebald. Some are grey or black. The guanaco and vicuña are wild. The guanaco is endangered; it has a nearly uniform light-brown color, passing into white below.

The guanaco and vicuña certainly differ: The vicuña is more petite, more slender in its proportions, and has a shorter head than the guanaco.

The vicuña lives in herds on the bleak and elevated parts of the mountain range bordering the region of perpetual snow, amidst rocks and precipices, occurring in various suitable localities throughout Peru, in the southern part of Ecuador, and as far south as the middle of Bolivia. Its manners very much resemble those of the chamois of the European Alps; it is as vigilant, wild, and timid.

Vicuña fiber is extremely delicate and soft and highly valued for weaving, but the quantity that each animal produces is small.

Alpacas are primarily descended from wild vicuña ancestors. In contrast, domesticated llamas are descended primarily from wild guanaco ancestors, although a considerable amount of hybridization between the two species has occurred.

Differential characteristics between llamas and alpacas include the llama's larger size, longer head, and curved ears. Alpaca fiber is generally more expensive but not always more valuable. Alpacas tend to have a more consistent color throughout the body. The most apparent visual difference between llamas and camels is that camels have a humps and llamas do not.

Llamas are not ruminants, pseudo-ruminants, or modified ruminants.{{cite web |first=Murray E. |last=Fowler |date=1 October 2016 |title=Camelids are not ruminants |website=Verterian Key (Veterinary Medicine Insight Engine) |id=Chapter 46 |url=https://veteriankey.com/camelids-are-not-ruminants/ |access-date=2021-05-29}} They do have a complex three-compartment stomach that allows them to digest lower quality, high cellulose foods. The stomach compartments allow for fermentation of tricky foodstuffs, followed by regurgitation and re-chewing. Ruminants (cows, sheep, goats) have four compartments, whereas llamas have only three stomach compartments: the rumen, omasum, and abomasum.

In addition, the llama (and other camelids) have an extremely long and complex large intestine (colon). The large intestine's role in digestion is to reabsorb water, vitamins, and electrolytes from food waste passing through it. The length of the llama's colon allows it to survive on much less water than other animals. This is a major advantage in arid climates where they live.{{cite web |first=Sheri |last=Amsel |date=13 November 2017 |title=Llama thoracic and abdominal organs (right view) |website=Exploring Nature |url=https://www.exploringnature.org/db/view/Llama-Thoracic-and-Abdonimal-Organs-Right-View}}{{Panorama

| image = Llamas, Laguna Milluni y Nevado Huayna Potosí (La Paz - Bolivia).jpg

| height = 360

| caption = {{center|A herd of llamas grazing by the side of the road in the Bolivian Andes. The species is fully domesticated.}}

}}

File:Lama glama Laguna Colorada 2.jpg at Laguna Colorada, Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa, Bolivia]]

Llamas have an unusual reproductive cycle for a large animal. Female llamas are induced ovulators.{{cite journal |journal=J. Reprod. Fertil. |year=1985 |volume=74 |issue=2 |pages=335–339 |title=Semen-induced ovulation in the Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus). |last1 = Chen|first1 = B.X.| last2 = Yuen|first2=Z.X.| last3 = Pan|first3 = G.W.

|doi=10.1530/jrf.0.0740335 |pmid=3900379 |doi-access=free }} Through mating, the female releases an egg and is often fertilized on the first attempt. Female llamas do not go into estrus ("heat").{{cite web|url=http://www.llamapaedia.com/reproduction/ovulate.html |work=Llamapaedia |title=Induced Ovulation |date=12 April 2007 |author1=Greta Stamberg |author2=Derek Wilson |name-list-style=amp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070412025723/http://www.llamapaedia.com/reproduction/ovulate.html |archive-date=12 April 2007 }}

Like humans, llama males and females mature sexually at different rates. Females reach puberty at about 12 months old; males do not become sexually mature until around three years of age.

{{cite journal

|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2647232/

|journal=College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.

|publisher=National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health

|title=Llama reproduction

|date=17 April 2007

|author=L. W. Johnson|volume=89

|issue=11

|pages=219–22

|pmid=7232

}}

Llamas mate in a kush (lying down) position, similar to big cats and canines, which is unusual in a large animal. They mate for an extended time (20–45 minutes), also unusual in a large animal.{{cite book |author1=Chris Cebra |author2=David E. Anderson |author3=Ahmed Tibary |author4=Robert J. Van Saun |author5=LaRue Willard Johnson |title=Llama and Alpaca Care: Medicine, Surgery, Reproduction, Nutrition, and Herd Health |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8sU0AwAAQBAJ&q=copulation |date=15 February 2014 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=978-0-323-24291-2}}

The gestation period of a llama is 11.5 months (350 days). Dams (female llamas) do not lick off their babies, as they have an attached tongue that does not reach outside of the mouth more than {{convert|1/2|in|mm|order=flip|abbr=off}}. Rather, they will nuzzle and hum to their newborns.

{{cite web

|url=http://www.llamaweb.com/about/reproduction.html

|work=LlamaWeb

|title=The llama reproductive cycle

|date=17 April 2007

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303164258/http://www.llamaweb.com/about/reproduction.html

|archive-date=3 March 2007

}}

A cria (from Spanish for "baby") is the name for a baby llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. Crias are typically born with all the herd's females gathering to protect against the male llamas and potential predators. Llamas give birth standing. Birth is usually quick and problem-free, over in less than 30 minutes. Most births occur between 8 am and noon, during the warmer daylight hours. This may increase cria survival by reducing fatalities due to hypothermia during cold Andean nights. This birthing pattern is considered a continuation of the birthing patterns observed in the wild. Their crias are up and standing, walking, and attempting to suckle within the first hour after birth.{{cite book |author= The Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Ohio State University|title= Camelid Medicine, Surgery, and Reproduction for Veterinarians|series= Part II|year= 2002}}{{cite book |last= Long |first= Patrick O. |title= Llama & Alpaca Neonatal Care|page= 112|isbn=0-9646618-3-7|year= 1996|publisher= Clay Press }}{{cite book|last= Birutta|first= Gale|title= A Guide to Raising Llamas|page= [https://archive.org/details/guidetoraisingll0000biru/page/327 327]|isbn= 0-88266-954-0|year= 1997|publisher= Storey Communications|url= https://archive.org/details/guidetoraisingll0000biru/page/327}} Crias are partially fed with llama milk that is lower in fat and salt and higher in phosphorus and calcium than cow or goat milk. A female llama will only produce about {{convert|60|ml|usfloz|abbr=off|0}} of milk at a time when she gives milk, so the cria must frequently suckle to receive the nutrients it requires.

{{cite web

|url=http://vetmed.illinois.edu/petcolumns/showarticle.cfm?id=222

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121211092218/http://vetmed.illinois.edu/petcolumns/showarticle.cfm?id=222

|url-status=dead

|archive-date=11 December 2012

|author=Linda March

|title=Llamas: A Different Kind of Pet

|publisher=University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine

|access-date=15 May 2009}}

In harem mating, the male is left with females most of the year.

For field mating, a female is turned into a field with a male llama and left there for some time. This is the easiest method in terms of labor but the least useful in predicting a likely birth date. An ultrasound test can be performed, and together with the exposure dates, a better idea of when the cria is expected can be determined.

Hand mating is the most efficient method, but it requires the most work on the part of the human involved. A male and female llama are put into the same pen, and mating is monitored. They are then separated and re-mated every other day until one refuses the mating. Usually, one can get in two matings using this method, though some stud males routinely refuse to mate a female more than once. The separation presumably helps to keep the sperm count high for each mating and also helps to keep the condition of the female llama's reproductive tract more sound. If the mating is unsuccessful within two to three weeks, the female is mated again.

File:Black Llama.jpg

Options for feeding llamas are quite wide; various commercial and farm-based feeds are available. The major determining factors include feed cost, availability, nutrient balance and energy density required. Young, actively growing llamas require a greater concentration of nutrients than mature animals because of their smaller digestive tract capacities.

{{cite web

|url=http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/alt-ag/llama.htm

|work=Department of Agricultural Economics, North Dakota State University

|title=Llama

|date=17 April 2007

|author=Randy Sell}}

File:Lloyd the Llama.jpg]]

Llamas that are well-socialized and trained to halter and lead after weaning are very friendly and pleasant to be around. They are extremely curious, and most will approach people easily. However, llamas that are bottle-fed or over-socialized and over-handled as youth will become extremely difficult to handle when mature, when they will begin to treat humans as they treat each other, which is characterized by bouts of spitting, kicking and neck wrestling.{{Cite news|title=Llama farmers say beasts no burden|last=Britton|first=Rick|date=24 May 2001|work=The Washington Times|page=14}}

Llamas are now utilized as certified therapy animals in nursing homes and hospitals. Rojo the Llama, located in the Pacific Northwest was certified in 2008. The Mayo Clinic says animal-assisted therapy can reduce pain, depression, anxiety, and fatigue. This type of therapy is growing in popularity, and several organizations throughout the United States participate.

{{cite web

| url = https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/14/health/llama-pet-therapy-oregon-feat/index.html

| title =Do you know what's happening to your clothing donations?

| website =CNN

| date =14 March 2016

| access-date =18 February 2020

}}

When correctly reared, llamas spitting at a human is a rare thing. Llamas are very social herd animals, however, and sometimes spit at each other to discipline lower-ranked llamas. A llama's social rank in a herd is never static. They can always move up or down the social ladder by picking small fights. This is usually done between males to see which will become dominant. Their fights are visually dramatic, characterized by spitting, ramming each other with their chests, neck wrestling, and kicking, mainly to knock the other off balance. The females are usually only seen spitting to control other herd members. One may determine how agitated the llama is by the materials in the spit. The more irritated the llama is, the further back into each of the three stomach compartments it will try to draw materials from for its spit.

While the social structure might constantly change, they live as a family and care for each other. If one notices a strange noise or feels threatened, an alarm call - a loud, shrill sound that rhythmically rises and falls - is sent out, and all others become alert. They will often hum to each other as a form of communication.

The llama's groaning noises or going "mwa" (/mwaʰ/) is often a sign of fear or anger. Unhappy or agitated llamas will lay their ears back, while ears being perked upwards is a sign of happiness or curiosity.

An "orgle" is the mating sound of a llama or alpaca, made by the sexually aroused male. The sound is reminiscent of gargling but with a more forceful, buzzing edge. Males begin the sound when they become aroused and continue throughout copulation.

{{cite web

|url=http://www.llamapaedia.com/behavior/sounds.html

|work=Llamapedia

|title=Behavior: Sounds

|date=2 September 1997

|author1=Greta Stamberg

|author2=Derek Wilson

|name-list-style=amp

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061015040744/https://www.llamapaedia.com/behavior/sounds.html

|archive-date=15 October 2006

}}

{{cite web

|url=http://personal.smartt.com/~brianp/allsounds.html

|work=Humm Page

|title=Llama Sounds

|date=17 May 2008

|author=Brian and Jane Pinkerton

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509062153/http://personal.smartt.com/~brianp/allsounds.html

|archive-date=9 May 2008

}}

{{Main|Guard llama}}

File:Guard llama and flock-enhanced.jpg ]]

Using llamas as livestock guards in North America began in the early 1980s, and some sheep producers have used llamas successfully since then. Some would even use them to guard their smaller cousins, the alpaca.International Llama Association. (1995). "Guard Llamas." ILA Educational Brochure No. 2.Walker, Cameron. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20030611171727/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/06/0610_030610_llamashepherds.html Guard Llamas Keep Sheep Safe From Coyotes.]" National Geographic, 10 June 2003. They are used most commonly in the western regions of the United States, where larger predators, such as coyotes and feral dogs, are prevalent. Typically, a single gelding (castrated male) is used.

Research suggests using multiple guard llamas is not as effective as one. Multiple males tend to bond with one another rather than with the livestock and may ignore the flock. A gelded male of two years of age bonds closely with its new charges and is instinctively very effective in preventing predation. Some llamas bond more quickly to sheep or goats if introduced just before lambing. Many sheep and goat producers indicate a special bond quickly develops between lambs and their guard llama, and the llama is particularly protective of the lambs.

Using llamas as guards has reduced the losses to predators for many producers. The value of the livestock saved each year exceeds a llama's purchase cost and annual maintenance. Although not every llama is suited to the job, most are a viable, nonlethal alternative for reducing predation, requiring no training and little care.{{cite web |url=http://www.whyllama.com/GuardLlamas.htm#Guarding%20behavior/ |title=Guard Llamas: An Alternative for Effective Predator Management |access-date=28 April 2010 |archive-date=17 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517005201/http://whyllama.com/GuardLlamas.htm#Guarding%20behavior/ |url-status=usurped }}{{better source needed|date=June 2017}}

Llamas have a fine undercoat, which can be used for handicrafts and garments. The coarser outer guard hair is used for rugs, wall hangings, and lead ropes. The fiber comes in many colors, ranging from white or grey to reddish-brown, brown, dark brown, and black.

File:Handspun llama yarn.jpg]]

Doctors and researchers have determined that llamas possess antibodies that are well-suited to treat certain diseases.{{Cite news|last=Kramer|first=Jillian|date=6 May 2020|title=Hoping Llamas Will Become Coronavirus Heroes|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/06/science/llama-coronavirus-antibodies.html|access-date=13 May 2020|issn=0362-4331}} Scientists have been studying the way llamas might contribute to the fight against coronaviruses, including MERS and SARS-CoV-2 (which causes COVID-19).{{Cite web|title=Here's How Llamas Could Help Scientists Get Closer to Stopping the Coronavirus Pandemic|url=https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/llama-antibodies-covid-19|website=Health.com|language=EN|access-date=13 May 2020}}

{{cite web

|url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/16/llama-coronavirus-antibodies-study-benefits

|title= 'Llamas are the real unicorns': why they could be our secret weapon against coronavirus

|work= The Guardian

|date = 17 May 2020

|author= Mathew Cantor

|access-date=17 May 2020}}

File:Lombards Museum 005 bis.jpg

File:Chancay - Llama Effigy - Walters 20092049.jpg

|url= http://art.thewalters.org/detail/80204

|title= Llama Effigy}} The Walters Art Museum.]]

Scholar Alex Chepstow-Lusty has argued that the switch from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to widespread agriculture was only possible because of the use of llama dung as fertilizer.Anning, Caroline. (22 May 2011) [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13439093 BBC News – Inca success in Peruvian Andes 'thanks to llama dung']. BBC.co.uk. Retrieved on 21 August 2011.

The Moche people frequently placed llamas and their parts in the burials of important people as offerings or provisions for the afterlife.Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. New York: Thames & Hudson, 1997 {{ISBN|0-500-01802-2}}. The Moche of pre-Columbian Peru depicted llamas quite realistically in their ceramics.

In the Inca Empire, llamas were the only beasts of burden, and many of the people dominated by the Inca had long traditions of llama herding. For the Inca nobility, the llama was symbolic, and llama figures were often buried with the dead.

{{cite web

|url = http://www.nationalgeographic.com/inca/inca_culture_4.html

|work = Inca culture

|title = Little Llamas

|date = 10 October 2006

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060907054938/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/inca/inca_culture_4.html

|archive-date = 7 September 2006

|df = dmy-all

}}

In South America, llamas are still used as beasts of burden, as well as for the production of fiber and meat.

{{cite web

|url=https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/7086258/PDF

|author1=Jean Larson|author2=Judith Ho

|title=Information Resources on the South American Camelids: Llamas, Alpacas, Guanacos, and Vicunas 1943–2006

|date=25 June 2007

|url-status=live

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502005035/http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/llama.htm

|archive-date=2 May 2014

}}

The Inca deity Urcuchillay was depicted in the form of a multicolored llama.{{cite book|last= D'Altroy|first= Terence N.|title= The Incas|series= The People of America|publisher= Blackwell Publishing|location= Oxford|isbn= 978-0-631-17677-0|page= [https://archive.org/details/incasthepeopleso00tere/page/149 149]|chapter= The Inca Pantheon|year= 2002|chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/incasthepeopleso00tere/page/149}}

Carl Troll has argued that the large numbers of llamas found in the southern Peruvian highlands were an essential factor in the rise of the Inca Empire.{{cite book |last=Gade |first=Daniel |date=2016 |title=Spell of the Urubamba: Anthropogeographical Essays on an Andean Valley in Space and Time |url=https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319208480#aboutBook |chapter=Urubamba Verticality: Reflections on Crops and Diseases |page=86 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-20849-7 }} It is worth considering the maximum extent of the Inca Empire roughly coincided with the most significant distribution of alpacas and llamas in Pre-Hispanic America.{{cite book |last=Hardoy |first=Jorge Henríque |date=1973 |title=Pre-Columbian Cities |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fbQJBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA24|page=24 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0802703804 }} The link between the Andean biomes of puna and páramo, llama pastoralism and the Inca state is a matter of research.{{cite journal |last1=Gade |first1=Daniel W. |date=1996 |title=Carl Troll on Nature and Culture in the Andes (Carl Troll über die Natur und Kultur in den Anden) |journal=Erdkunde |volume=50 |issue=4 |pages=301–316 |doi=10.3112/erdkunde.1996.04.02 }}

File:Guanacos-llamas-el-primero-imagen-en-europa-1553.jpg

One of the main uses for llamas at the time of the Spanish conquest was to bring down ore from the mines in the mountains.{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/gunsgermssteel/show/episode2.html|work=PBS|title=Guns, Germs & Steel. The Show: Episode Two|date=12 April 2007|author=Jared Diamond}} Gregory de Bolivar estimated that in his day, as many as 300,000 were employed in the transport of produce from the Potosí mines alone, but since the introduction of horses, mules, and donkeys, the importance of the llama as a beast of burden has greatly diminished.

{{cite web

|url=https://www.pbs.org/gunsgermssteel/variables/llamas.html

|work=PBS

|title=Guns, Germs & Steel. The story of ... Llamas

|date=12 April 2007

|author=Jared Diamond}}

According to Juan Ignacio Molina, the Dutch captain Joris van Spilbergen observed the use of hueques (possibly a llama type) by native Mapuches of Mocha Island as plow animals in 1614.{{cite book|author=Juan Bautista Ignacio Molina|title=The geographical, natural and civil history of Chili, tr. by an American gentleman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F4oIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA15|access-date=22 August 2011|year=1808|pages=15–16|volume =II}}

In Chile hueque, populations declined towards extinction in the 16th and 17th century being replaced by European livestock. The causes of its extinction are not clear.{{cite journal |last1=Bonacic |first1=Cristián |title=Características biológicas y productivas de los camélidos sudamericanos |journal=Avances en Ciencias Veterinarias |date=1991 |volume=6 |issue=2 |doi=10.5354/0716-260x.1991.4642|doi-access=|language=es}} However, it is known that the introduction of sheep caused some competition among both domestic species. Anecdotal evidence of the mid-17th century shows that both species coexisted and suggests that there were many more sheep than hueques. The decline of hueques reached a point in the late 18th century when only the Mapuche from Mariquina and Huequén next to Angol raised the animal.{{cite journal |last1=Torrejón |first1=Fernando |last2=Cisternas |first2=Marco|last3=Araneda |first3=Alberto |date=2004 |title=Efectos ambientales de la colonización española desde el río Maullín al archipiélago de Chiloé, sur de Chile |trans-title=Environmental effects of the spanish colonization from de Maullín river to the Chiloé archipelago, southern Chile |journal=Revista Chilena de Historia Natural |volume=77 |issue=4 |pages=661–677 |doi=10.4067/S0716-078X2004000400009 |language=es |doi-access=free }}

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Llamas were first imported into the US in the late 1800s as zoo exhibits. Restrictions on importation of livestock from South America due to hoof and mouth disease, combined with lack of commercial interest, resulted in the number of llamas staying low until the late 20th century. In the 1970s, interest in llamas as livestock began to grow, and the number of llamas increased as farmers bred and produced an increasing number of animals.{{cite web | title=History of Llamas North America | url=http://www.llama-llama.com/text/history-na.html |work=Buckhorn Llama Co.}} Both the price and number of llamas in the US climbed rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s. With little market for llama fiber or meat in the US and the value of guard llamas limited, the primary value in llamas was in breeding more animals, a classic sign of a speculative bubble in agriculture. By 2002, there were almost 145,000 llamas in the US, according to the US Department of Agriculture, and animals sold for as much as $220,000. However, the lack of any end market for the animals resulted in a crash in both llama prices and the number of llamas; the Great Recession further dried up investment capital, and the number of llamas in the US began to decline as fewer animals were bred and older animals died of old age. By 2017, the number of llamas in the US had dropped below 40,000.{{cite news |last=McCausland |first=Phil |title=Agriculture census finds that llamas are disappearing. What happened? | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/llamas-disappearing-across-united-states-n994181 |work=NBC News | date=14 April 2019 |access-date=23 January 2020}} A similar speculative bubble was experienced with the closely related alpaca, which burst shortly after the llama bubble.{{cite web |last=Cima |first=Rosie |title=When the Great Alpaca Bubble Burst |work=Priceonomics |date=14 August 2015 | url=https://priceonomics.com/when-the-great-alpaca-bubble-burst/ }}{{cite web |last=Barnett |first=Kaitlin Bell |title=Alpacas: Lovable Lawnmowers No More |work=Modern Farmer |url=https://modernfarmer.com/2014/11/alpaca-industry-matures-growing-pains/ |date=6 November 2014 |access-date=23 January 2020}}

Being an important animal and long-standing cultural icon in South America, Llamas gained in recent history cultural prominence in Western culture.{{cite web | last=Wakild | first=Emily | title=Llamas are having a moment in the US, but they've been icons in South America for millennia | website=The Conversation | date=Dec 18, 2020 | url=http://theconversation.com/llamas-are-having-a-moment-in-the-us-but-theyve-been-icons-in-south-america-for-millennia-138790 | access-date=Sep 9, 2021}}

For example, the videogame company Maxis has used Llamas extensively as elements in their games,{{cite web | title=Will Wright on creating 'The Sims' and 'SimCity' - November 30, 2000 | website=CNN | date=2000-11-30 | url=http://edition.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2000/12/1/wright.chat/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202194423/http://edition.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/2000/12/1/wright.chat/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=2 February 2011 | access-date=2022-10-03}} particularly in the widely popular game series The Sims, Llamas being the national symbol of the country the broader series of Sim games are set in. The online video game Fortnite uses piñata llamas as loot containers, which contain various in-game resources.{{Cite web |title=What are Loot Llamas? |url=https://www.epicgames.com/help/en-US/fortnite-c5719335176219/save-the-world-c5719367703579/what-are-loot-llamas-a5720280645147 |website=Epic Games}} Also the programming language Perl with its so-called Llama book has been associated with Llamas. Game developer Jeff Minter also named his company Llamasoft in honor of the animal.

In The Emperor's New Groove, a 2000 animated Disney film, an Incan emperor gets turned into a llama.

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{{div col}}

• Alpaca
• Cama, a hybrid between a llama and a camel
• Grass Mud Horse, a parody originating from Mainland China in 2009 that features the alpaca and llama
• Guanaco
• Guard llama, llamas used as livestock guardians
• Lamoid
• Llama hiking
• Llamero
• Llamanaco

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Wiktionary|llama}}

{{Wikispecies|Lama glama}}

{{Commons|Lama glama|Llama}}

• {{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Llama |volume=16 |page=829 |short=1}}
• {{cite web|url=http://www.llamapaedia.com/gifs/orgle.aiff |title=Llamapaedia Orgle Sound |format=AIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030063729/http://www.llamapaedia.com/gifs/orgle.aiff |archive-date=30 October 2007 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101012212903/http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/22395/llamas-and-alpacas-close-up Llamas Close Up] – slideshow by Life magazine
• {{Cite Americana|wstitle=Llama |short=x}}

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{{Working animals}}

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Category:Camelids

Category:Animal hair products

Category:Livestock

Category:Mammals of the Andes

Category:Mammals of Bolivia

Category:Mammals of Ecuador

Category:Mammals of Peru

Category:Pack animals

Category:Mammals described in 1758

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus