Llamas are mid-sized camelids from the Andes mountains of South America. They have fine, high quality wool for which they are prized. Llama males fight each other by biting as well as by body slamming and neck wrestling. It is not uncommon for a llama to castrate his opponent with his teeth. The skin around a llama's neck is much thicker than elsewhere on its body.
There are four extant species of llamas, and several extinct species
Domestic llamas Lama glama are domesticated camelids which originated from guanaco ancestors. Today they are found worldwide as beasts of burden or sources of meat or wool. They are also used to guard flocks from predators, since llamas naturally attack predators threatening their herd. By putting a llama in with sheep the llama adopts the sheep into its herd and will defend them from coyotes.
Guanacos Lama guanicoe are medium-sized wild camelids from the Andes of South America. They live in herds of a few females, their young, and the herd male; excess males gather in bachelor herds of up to 50 individuals. They use a high pitched bleat as an alarm call.
Vicuñas Vicugna vicugna are the smallest extant camelids. They are graceful, timid and fast running. Vicuña wool is especially fine. Wild vicuñas are commonly rounded up, shorn, and released once every three years.
Alpacas Vicugna pacos are domestic camelids descended from vicuñas. They are kept primarily for their wool, as they are too small for pack animals.
Hemiauchenia is an extinct species from the Miocene of North America. It is thought to be ancestral to modern llamas.
Palaeolama is an extinct llama from Pleistocene North and South America.