Hey curious kids!
Welcome to the land of the llamas. In case you aren’t sure about what a llama is, or have never really heard of one, remember that guy, Kuzco, from Emperor’s New Groove? He’s the king that got turned into a llama for his bad behaviour – remember that next time you want to steal a cookie from a cookie jar.
Llamas are mammals that are a part of the Camelidae family. This means that llamas are related to camels, and like camels, they are used to carrying stuff over long distances. Pretty cool, right? What’s even cooler, is they can carry up to 90 kilograms for 12 hours in a day. Llamas also have an average lifespan of 15 – 20 years.
Llamas are found in the mountains of South America. The mountain range includes the United States, Canada, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina. Another little fun fact about llamas, they spit on people they feel threatened by. Female llamas also use this to tell males they are not interested in them. Lastly, they can also spit to keep other llamas away from their food.
Did you know that llamas are often confused with alpacas? While alpacas are also a part of the Camelidae family, they are not the same animal. They were used for wool and transportation, but now they are bred mainly for the use of their wool.
Alpacas also do really well the higher they are up in the mountains. Their thick wool coats keep them warm, and their extra-large heart and lungs help to keep their blood supplied with oxygen in the thin mountain air. Alpacas are found in humid areas of the Andean high land of Altiplano where tender grass grows. The range includes the Andes mountains of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile and elevations of 3000m to 4800m.
While llamas are not common in South Africa, you can find alpacas in the Western Cape at a cozy farm called The Alpaca Loom. There you can tour the farm, see the process of turning their coats into useable wool to make items such as beanies, socks and many more exciting items!
Remember kids, just because a llama spits at you, doesn’t mean you should spit back at it!
