Llamas
are members of the South American camelid family and are mostly found
in the high altiplano regions of the Andes in Peru, Bolivia and Chile.
They are the domesticated cousin of the wild guanaco and are
extensively used by the Andean people and in the past by the Incas, as
beasts of burden, for food, for fibre and their hides used as leather.
They
were domesticated from the Guanaco some 5000 years ago. Their ancestors
inhabited the plains of North America and migrated south to the Andes
about three million years ago!
Llamas can be grouped broadly into two types: Ccara and Tampuli.
“Ccara”,
the most commonly seen type in the UK, has a short to medium length
coat with very short fibre on the legs and head and tends to be larger
than the Tampuli.
The“Tampuli"
is more heavily woolled than the Ccara, its coat extending down the
legs and often distinguished by a woolly "topknot".
The
llama is the largest of the South American Camelids, weighing anything
up to 400lbs (180kg) and standing approximately 4 ft (1.25m) at the
shoulder.
Elegant
with an exotic quality, llamas are strong, intelligent and hardy. They
have a gentle temperament and inquisitive nature. With their
distinctive "banana" shaped ears, they are found in a variety of
colours from solid white to black and with varying shades and mixes of
brown and grey.
Llamas are very diverse animals and are becoming much sought after in the UK for their many attributes.
Their life span is generally 12 to 18 years although some may live to be over 20.
Field
Pets: Llamas are becoming increasingly popular as field pets being
gentle, quiet, hardy and undemanding. They live in harmony with other
field stock and make good companions for lone ponies etc. They quickly
learn to wear a halter and to be led. Llamas can be taught to pull a
cart.
Trekking:
Llamas can be walked for pleasure and will happily carry a pack,
offering the long distance walker or the picnicking family both a fun
companion and a willing helper!
A number of enterprises around the UK offer llama treks of varying lengths from just a half day upwards.
Fibre:
llamas have a double fleece; an outer guard hair and a fine, soft
undercoat much sought after by hand spinners. Llamas do not have to be
sheared at all, but the undercoat can be used to make an array of
wonderful garments and the guard hair can be used for other products
such as bags, rugs etc. The fleece comes in many natural colours from
white to black with a wide range of browns and greys in between.
Livestock
guardians: Although gentle by nature, male llamas are protective of
their group and are used very successful to keep predators from
attacking lambs and even ducks and poultry.
Guanacos
The
Guanaco is not domesticated in South America but there are a small
number of domestic herds in the UK. The Guanaco has an outstanding
fleece, even finer than the Llama. Guanacos are a honey shade of brown
or cinnamon with white under-parts and dark grey head. They stand
approximately 1 to 1.5 metres at the withers, weighing 100-150 Kgs.
The above information is courtesy of the British Llama Society : www.britishllamasociety.org