Mammals · Artiodactyla · Camelidae
Llama
Lama glama
Not Evaluated
It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria.
The llama is a South American camelid domesticated from the guanaco between four and five thousand years ago on the Andean altiplano. It was the only large pack animal of pre-Columbian America and sustained the road and warehouse system of the Inca empire. An adult male carries between 25 and 45 kilos over long days, although it will refuse to move if overloaded. It is adapted to altitude with haemoglobin that has a high affinity for oxygen and elliptical red blood cells, uncommon among mammals.
Weight
130 kg – 200 kg
Size
1.2 m – 2 m
Life expectancy
20 years
