fact

Llamas live to be about 20 years old. Though some only live for 15 years and others live to be 30 years old.

Llama poop has almost no odor. Llama farmers refer to llama manure as “llama beans.” It makes for a great, eco-friendly fertilizer. Historically, the Incas in Peru burned dried llama poop for fuel.

A llama’s stomach has three compartments. They are called the rumen, omasum, and abomasum. A cow’s stomach has four compartments. Like cows, llamas must regurgitate and re-chew their food to digest it completely.

Llamas don’t bite. They spit when they’re agitated, but that’s mostly at each other. Llamas also kick and neck wrestle each other when agitated.

Llamas have been used as guard animals for livestock like sheep or even alpacas in North America since the ’80s. They require almost no training to be an effective guard.

Llamas are hardy and well suited to harsh environments. They are quite sure-footed, easily navigating rocky terrain at high altitudes.

In the Andes Mountains of Peru, llama fleece has been shorn and used in textiles for about 6,000 years. Llama wool is light, warm, water-repellent, and free of lanolin.

Llamas weigh between 280 and 450 pounds and can carry 25 to 30 percent of their body weight, so a 400-pound male llama can carry about 100 to 120 pounds on a trek of 10 to 12 miles with no problem.

Llamas can grow as much as 6 feet tall though the average llama between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall.

Llamas were first domesticated and used as pack animals 4,000 to 5,000 years ago in the Peruvian highlands.