Llamas Essay

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Llamas are members of the Camelid family, which now includes camels. Some other members of the Camelid family are alpacas, camas, grass mud horses, guard llamas, lamoids, and llamas for hiking. About ten million years ago, on the central plains of North America, the era of the Camelid began. About 2.5 million years ago, the llamas migrated to South America. 10,000-12,000 years ago, the end of the ice age occurred and the Camelid became extinct; but llamas, camels, alpacas, camas, grass mud horses, guard llamas, lamoids, and hiking llamas all survived. Llamas are among the world’s oldest domestic animals. Llamas provided, and still provide, the native herdsmen with meat. Other necessities they provide include varying types and thicknesses of wool for clothing, manure pellets for fuel, shelter from their furs and skins, and were also sacrificed to the gods. Scientists think that there are about 7 million llamas and alpacas in South America. There are an estimated 65 thousand llamas, 7 thousand alpacas and 200 guanacos in the United States and Canada. Many of them are in captivity. The life span of a llama is about 15-29 years, it weighs 200 to 450 pounds. Llamas can average out to be up to 47” at the shoulder, and 6’5” at the head. Llamas can be marked in a wide variety of patterns; their colors can be from white to brown to gray to red, and their fur is a mix of many other colors. Llamas can be very colorful or very dull, depending on whether their ancestors were bred in captivity or bred naturally in the wild. Dull colors are an indication that their ancestors were wild because they would need camouflage, but bright colors would indicate that their ancestors were bred by humans for their colorful wool. Their wool sometimes is very thin or very thick, depending on whether the breeders wanted warmth or style. Llamas are vegetarians and also have efficient digestive

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