Lonesome Pines--Maryland Llama Breeders with llamas for sale in Maryland.

Lama (single "l"), which include the llama ("ll"), Alpaca, Guanaco and the endangered Vicuna are members of the camel (camlid) family.  Origin in the Central Plains of North America about 40 million years ago, the lama predecessors migrated to South American around 2.5 million year ago.  Its cousin to the camel, relocated to the Middle East and other regions of the world.  The end of  the Ice Age 10,000 to 12,000 years ago marked the extinction of the camlid in North American.

Llamas have been raised in South America for centuries as pack animals who were also used for fiber and meat. To be good pack animals, llamas need to be calm, trusting and work well with people. These traits were bred into llamas and are still present today. There is enormous variety in the use of llamas for packing. Llamas may be used for short hikes/walks with their owners or they may be fully loaded traveling across mountains on a week-long outing.

Llamas, who are long-lived, can provide an effective long-term and economical alterative for predator control in a variety of farm an ranch conditions.  Guard llamas are highly successful in preventing perdition in sheep and goat flocks.  As survey of guard llama users indicates that over 50% of the llamas were 100% effective, and another 40% to 45% were highly effective guarding milk, meat and wool producing goats.  Even producers who reported losses of over 100 lambs per year either complete eliminated or drastically reduced predation after introducing a llama to their flocks