Mammals
Llama
Lama glamaConservation statusDomestic animal
DietGrasses and bushes of the páramo, the high grassland of the Andes
Lifespan15-25 years
Size and weight130-200 kg, head height up to 1.8 m
The largest member of the camel family. Its long ears curve inward like a banana. Its rough fur comes in shades of brown, white and black.
Banana ear
What makes it specialThe only animal the Inca used to carry loads. Their empire of 4,000 km was built without the wheel, the horse or the ox. Everything went on the backs of long lines of llamas.
Surprising factThe famous spitting keeps order in the herd. It is almost always aimed at another llama.
PopulationAbout 4-5 million in South America, most of them in Bolivia and Peru.
Quilotoa, Otavalo market and mountain villages
LlamaAlpacaEarsLong and curved, like a bananaShort and straight, like a spearSize130-200 kg55-85 kgFaceLong and bareShort and covered in furCoatRough, used for ropes and rugsSoft and even, used for clothesCharacterIndependent, carries loadsShy, stays with the herd
The quick way to tell them apart: look at the ears.