Originally llamas are native to the Andean mountains of South America, but now they are extinct in the wild and exist today only as domesticated animals. They were introduced as pets and farm animals in North America, Europe, and Australia.
Houston Chronicle: PET TALK: A whole ‘llama’ fun: Alpacas and llamas as pets
Looking for a cute, quirky name for your new pet llama? Since llamas aren’t your everyday pets, many of the classic pet names that work for cats and dogs might not be what you're looking for when it ...
Llamas were not always confined to South America; abundant llama-like remains were found in Pleistocene deposits in the Rocky Mountains and in Central America. Some of the fossil llamas were much larger than current forms. Some species remained in North America during the last ice ages.
Llamas, guanacos, vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna), and alpacas (V. pacos) are known collectively as lamoids. Unlike camels, llamas and other lamoids do not have the characteristic camel humps; they are slender-bodied animals and have long legs and long necks, short tails, small heads, and large pointed ears.
Llamas are very enjoyable animals and they are fun to do things with, however, most llamas do not seek affection and they prefer not to be handled excessively. Llamas communicate with each other by ear position, body language, spitting and humming.
Understanding Llamas: An Overview Before we dive into the specific aspects of llamas, let’s start with an overview of these incredible animals. Llamas belong to the camelid family and are native to the South American Andes region. They are closely related to alpacas, guanacos, and vicuñas.