Lily the Llama
Llamas are just so cute! What is it about llamas that we love so much? Maybe being cute is enough.
Even a llama’s scientific name is cute: Lama glama
Here we’ve outlined some facts about llamas to share with your kids and increase their knowledge about these adorable animals.
Want something fun to spark your kids’ summertime education? Use the suggested activities at the bottom of this post for some fun reading and writing practice.
Where Do Llamas Come From?
Llamas were domesticated centuries ago in the Andes mountains of South America. The people of Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador and Venezuela have been using llamas to carry supplies into the mountain ranges where cars and trucks aren’t able to travel.
What Do Llamas Do?
Llamas don’t mind carrying 50 to 75 pounds of supplies, but if you overload a llama, they get mad! They will lay down and spit at you, hiss, and even try to kick you and not carry the load until you lighten it for them. Llamas expect to be treated with respect.
Llamas are very loyal and protective. They guard sheep and goats from predators and make very helpful guard animals for farmers. And there’s something extra cute about an animal that makes friends with and takes care of other animals.
Llama Activities to Try:
- Write a llama story. Imagine you meet a llama who can talk. This llama lives with a herd of sheep. What would the llama tell you about his or her sheep friends? Does the llama like his or her job? Write a story about your imaginary conversation with a llama.
- Read more about llamas and try to find out:
- Why do llamas have long, thick fur?
- Do farmers or herders shave their llamas in the summer?
- What is llama fur used for?
- Do llamas make good pets?
- Can a llama really destroy the world?
- Draw a picture of a llama. Make sure the llama has a long neck, long legs, and long, pointed ears.
- For further study, take a look at alpacas. How are they different from llamas? How are alpacas similar to llamas? Write down what you found out while researching llamas and alpacas, or tell your mom and dad all about your research. I’d love to hear what you find out, too! You can send your llama facts to me by email at: Hello@bookandbear.com or comment on this blog post below.
References used in this Blog post can help you start your own research on llamas:
National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/l/llama/
Chimu Blog has interesting facts about the Andes Mountains, where llamas originally came from: https://www.chimuadventures.com/blog/2017/03/andes-mountains-facts/
Awwducational: https://www.reddit.com/r/Awwducational/comments/gen50x/guard_llamas_are_used_in_farming_to_protect_sheep/
Send us what you find and we’ll add it to the list!