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The llama (/ ˈ l ɑː m ə /; Spanish pronunciation: or ) (Lama glama) is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the pre-Columbian era. Llamas are social animals and live with others as a herd. Their wool is soft and contains only a small amount of lanolin. [2]
Llama crias are typically born with the whole herd gathering around (only the females are present, as the males are considered a threat) in an attempt to protect against potential predators. Llamas give birth standing, and the process is usually relatively quick and problem-free, over in less than 30 minutes.
The vicuña (Lama vicugna) or vicuna [3] (both / v ɪ ˈ k uː n j ə /, very rarely spelled vicugna, its former genus name) [4] [5] is one of the two wild South American camelids, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes; the other camelid is the guanaco, which lives at lower elevations.
Lama is a genus containing the South American camelids: the wild guanaco and vicuña and the domesticated llama, alpaca, and the extinct chilihueque.Before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, llamas, alpacas, and chilihueques were the only domesticated ungulates of the continent.
The guanaco (/ ɡ w ɑː ˈ n ɑː k oʊ / ghwuah-NAH-koh; [3] Lama guanicoe) is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama. Guanacos are one of two wild South American camelids; the other species is the vicuña , which lives at higher elevations.
The llama and alpaca were especially important in the Andean economy. Llama: the resources provided by the llama were used to the maximum. Thus, its wool was spun to transform it into clothing for the people of the sierra, as the inhabitants of the coast used the cotton to make their clothing.
The diameter of llama wool's fiber varies between 20 and 80 micrometers, depending on whether the llamas were raised for its wool or as a pack animal. The guanaco ( Lama guanicoe ) is a wild camelid, standing at 100–120 cm (39–47 in) at the shoulder [ 6 ] and 150–160 cm (59–63 in) at the head.
A huarizo, also known as a llapaca, is a hybrid cross between a male llama and a female alpaca. Misti is a similar hybrid; it is a cross between a male alpaca and a female llama. The most common hybrid between South American camelids, [ 1 ] huarizo tend to be much smaller than llamas, with their fibre being longer. [ 2 ]