About 500 years ago, Lama used to be a very important transportation to the Inca Empire in Peru. Even though modern transportation had replaced the Lama in Peru with regards to a means of transportation, the Lama is still being used in rural areas of Peru. Throughout the years the Lama was used to carry packs of up to 20 pounds, but the focus has since shifted when other modes of transportation become available.
The Lama’s main benefit to man is now its wool. A full coat of wool from a Lama can be as thick as 3-4 inches in a given year and when sheared it can be as much as 5-10 pounds in weight. On average it takes a Lama two years to re-grow a full coat of wool. The Lama is usually sheared for their wool every two years. Upon two years of growing its wool, it can weigh up to 20 pounds when sheared. Lama fleece includes the coarse hairs of their outer coat and the wavy fiber of their undercoat. The color of Lama’s fleece varies including shades of brown, with black and white.
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The Lama is considered to be a very important domestic animal for the people who live in Andes in Peru and Chile. It is a relative to the camel and it has been used by the local people in Andes as an important transportation for thousands of years. During the Inca period, Lama was used for sacrificial purposes in religious ceremonies as well as their source of transportation so it was very critical to the success of the Inca Empire.
Lamas are known for being able to tolerate high thirst and they have great endurance and the ability to suppress and endure in a lot of circumstances. Therefore, it is an excellent vessel for transportation in the Andean plateaus and mountains. The Lama is also considered a very gentle animal. However, if it is being overloaded or mistreated, it will lie down, hiss, spit, and kick. In some cases it will not move even if you force it. It’s important that you do not over work a Lama since despite being a hard worker it does have its limits.
Lama usually breeds during the late summer and fall. The gestation period for Lama is 11 months or 350 days on average. The female of Lama can only give birth to one offspring and the age where they can reproduce is approximately 18 to 24 months. Although, Lama is usually white in color, Lama can be solid black or brown, or it can be white with some black spots. The average life span of Lama is estimated to be 15 to 25 years, and it can weigh between 280 to 450 pounds.
As noted earlier the Lama belongs to the camel family called Camelidae which is a relative to alpaca, guanaco, and vicuna. The characteristic of Lama includes slender, long necks, long legs, short tails, and small heads with large pointed ears. Lama is a gregarious animal that graze on grass and other plants.
Peru currently has the largest population of Lamas in the world which is approximately over 1,000,000. Lamas are well adapted to the Andes Mountain and can always be found at the altitudes from 3,800 – 5000 meters of heights in packs. Lama treks are becoming increasingly popular as a Lama can carry a very heavy burden which makes them suitable for luggage transportation for hikers and trekkers in the mountains.
Lama always impresses tourists that are on tours in Peru. If you are planning to go for a mountain trek, you should go to Peru for their Lama treks. You’ll have a wonderful and unique experience. |