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Habitat:
Southern Peru through western Bolivia, northeast Argentina
and northeast Chile
Height:
3 1/2 to 4 feet at the shoulder
Weight:
150 to 350 pounds
Gestation:
11 1/2 months
The Indians
of Peru first domesticated the llama around 4000 years ago.
The llama is extremely surefooted on mountain trails and can
carry up to 100 pounds for a 20-mile trip. Llamas have become
extremely popular as pets and pack animals in this country,
as they are very quiet, gentle, odorless and easily kept with
other stock. The are even kept with domestic sheep and goats
as a guard against coyote and stray dog attacks. They are
popular as 4-H projects for young children and come in a multitude
of colors to please all owners. Misguided people, who have
either teased or struck the llama to annoy it, perpetuate
the erroneous belief that llamas will always spit on you.
Spitting is the llama's main means of defense and rarely used
except to defend it. Llama wool is very poplar with weavers
of textiles.
Copyright
@ 2005 - Karl Mogensen
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