Llama

Native to South American grasslands of the Andes mountains, they are referred to as the new world camel. The alpaca, guanaco and vicuna were interbred to produce today's llama. Bred specifically as pack animals for their fine wool, meat and hides these animals are highly intelligent, curious creatures having predictable, trustworthy and calm dispositions. They were domesticated in the Andean highlands of South America 4,000 to 5,000 years ago and used primarily as beasts of burden. Today they are still valuable for their wool, but are also used as driving animals and as companions since they mix well with other animals as well as with people. Because of their high intelligence they are easy to train and care for. Their average lifespan is 20 years, they weigh between 250 to 400 lbs. and they stand 5 - 6 ft. tall.