Although it might seem strange, llamas actually make great pets. They have sweet, gentle personalities and are usually very affectionate with their owners. You can even train them to do certain things!

Llamas originated from the plains of North America. They have been around for about 40 million years! They are now found in South America because they migrated there 3 million years ago. Llamas started to be domesticated about 5,000 years ago by Andean tribes. They are actually one of the oldest domesticated animals around today! They started being kept in the United States in the 1800s.

The llama is a very strong animal. They can carry 25 to 30 percent of their own body weight for up to eight miles! They measure up to six feet tall and weigh up to 450 pounds. They also come in uncountable numbers of colors and their hair has different fiber textures.

Llamas can be really good guards for your house because they will spit at people if they frighten them. Spitting is used when they are threatened or to establish dominance at feeding time. However, if you spend a lot of time with your llamas and care for them very well, they probably will never spit.

Llamas are very smart and you can even train them to do things like carry a pack, come when you call them, or wear a bridle. They are also very hardy animals that don't tend to get diseases. For their protection, you need to provide them with a shelter. If you live in a warm climate, a three-sided shelter will work fine, but in colder environments, they will need a barn. If it is hot where you live, then you will need to provide shade trees and a cool gravel ground.

The same plants that are poisonous to cattle, horses and sheep, are also poisonous to llamas. Be sure your pasture is okay before you let your llamas graze. You will also need to supplement their diet with grain. Some llamas don't graze at all so if this happens feed them timothy hay or grass. Do not feed your llamas alfalfa or oats because they can cause many problems with their bones, reproduction, or digestion.

Llamas do need to be groomed. Use a very gentle brush and be extremely delicate with them or you could irritate their skin. Some people bathe the llama before brushing and use a conditioner to remove tangles. If your llama's hair becomes matted, it might be easier to just shear them. You will also need to trim their toenails. If you don't want to trim the toenails, you can put down rough gravel or concrete by their water. This will wear down the toenails.

Llamas are very social animals so you need to get at least two of them so they can keep each other company. They will enjoy being together and will even "talk" to each other. Males and females don't do well being housed together though. They should only be kept together at breeding time.

As you can see, llamas have been around for a long time. Many people have kept this animal. Today it is most commonly used as a guard, a companion, a fiber producer, a show animal, or a light pack worker. They are very interesting creatures.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Animals Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell