Size: Weight; 130-155 kg. Length; 120cm. Height; 150-180cm.

Habitat and Distribution: Found in high altitude shrubland throughout the Andes, especially southeast Peru and western Bolivia.

Age: 15 years in the wild but up to 25 years in captivity.

Groups and Breeding: Llamas tend to live in groups consisting of a male and a harem of around 6 females plus their offspring. Young males driven out of this harem at one year of age will often congregate in large herds until they reach breeding age (around 2 years old) and can form, or take over, a harem themselves. Older and displaced males live by themselves.
Llamas tend to breed from November to May, however, females do not have an oestrus cycle. Instead, an egg is released 24-36 hours AFTER mating and often immediately becomes fertilised. Mating can last up to 65 minutes! Gestation takes roughly 1 year after which the female gives birth to one young.

Diet: Leaves, roots and tubers, seeds, grains and nuts, sap and lichen. They tend to live in very dry environments so get the majority of their liquid from the foods they eat. Camelids (the family that includes camels, llamas, alpacas etc.) in general can get 2-3 gallons of water from the dry food they eat every day.

• A baby llama is called a cria. A cria can walk within an hour of being born and is weaned after 4 months.
• Males fight for dominance of a harem by biting, and wrestling by wrapping their necks around each other. The losing male is the one who is pushed to the ground and submits by lying on his side with neck outstretched.
• Llamas use a communal area as a toilet area. This is thought to be used to mark their territory.
• They are very vocal animals, and capable of spitting, especially when faced with predators or when they are cross. The actual contents of the spit can take different forms. There is a grain spit, a saliva spit, and a green “stomach contents” spit. This last ‘green spit’ can be fired up to 5m in distance!
• Llamas can be highly aggressive when faced with predators and can kick, bite, spit and charge at them.
• Llamas are one of four relatives of the camel found in Africa and Asia.
• Adult llamas have only one upper incisor tooth; they clip vegetation using their large bottom incisors against a hard pad in their top jaw.
• Llamas have specially adapted blood which allows them to live in high altitudes by being able to store a lot more oxygen in their blood supply than a normal mammal could.