Camel or llama?
How to tell them apart
A llama is a South American relative of the camel but not a true camel, and it has no hump.
Quick answers
They differ on 2 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous, kept as a pet.
| Question | Camel | Llama |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | No, herbivore | No, herbivore |
| Dangerous? differs | Can be | No |
| Domesticated? | Yes | Yes |
| Awake when? | Daytime | Daytime |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? differs | No | Sometimes |
| Do people eat it? | Yes | Yes |
At a glance
| Question | Camel | Llama |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | Africa, Asia | South America |
| Habitat differs | Desert, Grassland | Mountains, Grassland, Farmland |
| Size | Large | Large |
| Length differs | – | 0.92–1.6 m |
| Height differs | About 1.85 m at the shoulder (dromedary) | – |
| Weight differs | 300–600 kg (dromedary); 300–1,000 kg (Bactrian) | 130–155 kg |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in differs | Fur | Wool |
| Lives | In herds | In herds |
| Lives for differs | 40–50 years | 15–25 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Camel
Three living species of humped desert animals: the one-humped dromedary (94% of the world’s camels), the two-humped Bactrian camel, and the endangered wild Bactrian camel. The humps store fat, not water.
Llama
A domesticated South American camelid, used by Andean cultures for meat and as a pack animal since before Columbus. Llamas are social herd animals and are also used as livestock guardians.
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.