Llamas originated in the high plains of North America forty million years ago. Eventually, they migrated south to the Andes mountains. Furthermore, these fluffy camelids served as the primary pack animal for the Inca Empire. Consequently, they possess incredible strength and a surprising level of intelligence. Explore these fascinating details about the camel without a hump.
Llamas
They communicate with each other by humming. Mothers hum softly to their babies to bond. Similarly, they hum to express anxiety or tiredness to the rest of the herd.
Llamas are smart enough to know their own limits. If you load too much weight onto them, they will simply lie down. Stubbornly, they refuse to move until you remove the extra baggage.
They have distinct banana-shaped ears. This feature makes it very easy to tell them apart from alpacas. Alpacas have short, spear-shaped ears that point straight up.
Farmers use them as guard animals for sheep. Fearlessly, a single llama will chase away coyotes or wild dogs. Thus, they adopt the flock of sheep as their own family to protect.
Their spit is actually vomit. When they feel truly angry, they regurgitate undigested food from their third stomach. Then, they spray this green, smelly mixture at their target.
They use a communal bathroom. Remarkably, the entire herd uses the same pile of dung to do their business. This behavior keeps their living area clean and prevents the spread of parasites.
Llamas have oval-shaped red blood cells. Uniquely, this shape allows them to absorb more oxygen in thin air. Therefore, they survive easily at high altitudes where humans would struggle to breathe.
A baby llama is called a “cria.” This word comes from the Spanish language. Furthermore, mothers usually give birth standing up so the baby doesn’t fall on the cold ground.
They do not have hooves like horses. Instead, they have two toenails on each foot with a soft, leathery pad underneath. This gives them excellent grip on rocky mountain paths without damaging the soil.
Male llamas make a gargling sound called “orgling.” Strange to human ears, this noise is actually a love song. They make it when they want to impress a female partner.
Their wool is hypoallergenic and free of lanolin. Unlike sheep’s wool, it does not contain the grease that causes allergic reactions. Consequently, it requires less processing before you can spin it into yarn.
They possess three stomach compartments. Like cows, they are ruminants that chew cud. They swallow their food, bring it back up to chew it again, and digest it thoroughly.
Llamas can recognize differences between dogs. For example, they might ignore a friendly pet dog. However, they will instantly alert the herd if they see a predatory coyote approaching.
They originated in North America, not South America. Fossils show they lived in the Great Plains during the Ice Age. Eventually, they crossed the land bridge to the south before going extinct in the north.
Finally, they can run faster than a racehorse over short distances. Reportedly, they can reach speeds of 35 miles per hour. This speed helps them escape from mountain lions and other predators.
