"The llama is a woolly sort of fleecy hairy goat,
With an indolent expression and an undulating throat . . ."
-Hilaire Belloc

Although llamas and alpacas seem exotic, their ancestors, members of the camelid family, once flourished on the North American plains. With the Ice Age they became extinct in the north, but they migrated south and continue to live in the Andean Mountains of South America. One of the earliest domesticated animals in the world, llamas became essential to survival in the highlands of Peru 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. Llamas served as draft animals, as well as providing resources for clothing, food, and fuel. For this the ancient Incas worshipped and revered their "silent brother." During the early 1900s private animal collectors and zoos began reintroducing llamas to their original homeland. Today an estimated seven million llamas and alpacas live in South America, and 80,000 to 100,000 live in the United States and Canada. Llamas gained popularity in the U.S. when an Oregon couple began to promote them as domestic livestock and made them available to the general public.

Today llamas are used for pack animals (including golf caddy), guard animals, for their fiber, and as pets. Alpacas are kept primarily for their fleece, a finer grade than llama wool. Even rarer than cashmere, alpaca fiber comes in dozens of shades ranging from ivory to black with many grays and browns in between. The fleece is straighter, softer and finer than sheep wool and is valued for being warmer, lighter, and softer than other animal fibers.

Llamas and alpacas are relatives of camels (camelid family). In South America, there are two other wild camelid relatives, both endangered species. The wild ancestor of the llama, the guanaco, lives in South America from Tierra del Fuego to the Andes. The vicuna lives primarily in the Andes mountains. As the wild ancestor of the alpaca, it is prized for having the finest animal fiber in the world. It was nearly hunted to extinction in the 1970s, but conservation efforts have resulted in a resurgence in much of its traditional range.

Llamas and alpacas are loved for their quiet, gentle natures, as well as their beauty, intelligence, and cleanliness. Because they walk on the pads of their toes, rather than hooves, they create little or no damage to the environment they travel over.

More information about llamas & alpacas

Camelids are Ruminants – What is a Ruminant?
Ruminants include any of various hoofed, even-toed, usually horned mammals of the suborder Ruminantia, such as cattle, sheep, goats, camels, deer, and giraffes. The ruminants characteristically have a stomach divided into four compartments and chew a cud consisting of regurgitated, partially digested food.

Members of the camelid family (camels, llamas, alpacas) are sometimes described as ‘modified’ ruminants because they have three stomachs instead of four. They are actually fed and treated very similarly to other ruminants, and are more efficient at using their feed than the rest of the suborder. (Think of camels on the desert.)

see also:

Llama & Alpaca Doctors
Llama & Alpaca Health Topics
Services for Llamas & Alpacas