Although it might seem strange, llamas actually make great pets. They have sweet,
gentle personalities and are usually very affectionate with their owners. You can

even train them to do certain things!
Llamas originated from the plains of North America. They have been around for

about 40 million years! They are now found in South America though because they

migrated there 3 million years ago. Llamas started to be domesticated about 5,000

years ago by Andean tribes. They are actually one of the oldest domesticated

animals around today! They started being kept in the United States in the 1800’s.

The llama is a very strong animal. They can carry 25 to 30 percent of their own

body weight for up to eight miles! They measure up to six feet tall and weigh up to

450 pounds. They also come in uncountable numbers of colors and their hair has

different fiber textures.  (Click on Read More below for the whole story)

Llamas can be really good guards for your house because they will spit at people

if they frighten them. Spitting is used when they are threatened or to establish

dominance at feeding time. However, if you spend a lot of time with your llamas

and care for them very well, they probably will never spit.

Llamas are very smart and you can even train them to do things like carry a pack,

come when you call them, or wear a bridle. They are also very hardy animals that

don’t tend to get diseases. You still need to protect them though with a shelter. If

you live in a warm climate, a three sided shelter will work fine, but in colder

environments, they will need a barn. If it is hot where you live, then you will need to

provide shade trees and a cool gravel ground.

The same plants that are poisonous to cattle, horses, and sheep, are also

poisonous to llamas. Be sure your pasture is okay before you let you llamas

graze. You will also need to supplement their diet with grain. Some llamas don’t

graze at all so if this happens feed them timothy hay or grass. Do not feed your

llamas alfalfa or oats because these can cause many problems such as bone

problems, reproductive problems, or digestive problems.

Llamas do need to be groomed. Use a very gentle brush and be extremely delicate

with them or you could irritate their skin. Some people bathe the llama before

brushing and use a conditioner to remove tangles. If your llama’s hair becomes

matted, it might be easier to just shear them. You will also need to trim their

toenails. If you don’t want to trim the toenails, you can put down rough gravel or

concrete by their water. This will wear down the toenails.

Llamas are very social animals so you need to get at least two of them so they can

keep each other company. They will enjoy being together and will even “talk” to

each other. Males and females don’t do well being housed together though. They

should only be kept together at breeding time.

As you can see, llamas have been around for a long time. Many people have kept

this animal. Today it is most commonly used as a guard, a companion, a fiber

producer, a show animal, or a light pack worker. They are very interesting creatures.

Michael Russell