History of Llamas

On 3/16, we'll be painting an adorable llama, so what better time to learn about some fun facts about these cute camelids?

Llamas are very social creatures, preferring a herd to a solitary lifestyle. They first appeared on the Central North American plains 40 million years ago! They were first domesticated around 5,000 years ago in the Peruvian highlands, and were found useful for their lanolin-free wool and their ability to carry up to 30% of their body weight for 10 to 12 miles with ease. Amusingly, a llama will be the first to let others know if they reach their limits as pack animals, lying down or refusing to move if the load is too heavy. Willful and stubborn, but terribly cute!

There are a number of benefits to caring for llamas. They are very intelligent and can be trained with only a little repetition. Their feces is almost odorless, which makes it a great fertilizer that doesn't offend the senses! Llamas don't bite, though they may spit when agitated. However, being social animals means they are pretty calm when domesticated, and they will actually hum to each other! Imagine a symphony of llamas! If you can't tell if it's a llama or alpaca you're admiring, llamas are usually twice the size of their cousins, with longer, straight ears. You can crossbreed them, however, to produce a huarizo. Who wouldn't love a miniature llama!