Camelid

Camelid
A Bactrian Camel walking in the snow
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Suborder:	Tylopoda
Family:	Camelidae Gray, 1821
Genera
Lama Vicugna Camelus
Map of the world showing distribution of camelids. Solid black lines indicate possible migration routes.

Camelids are a group of even-toed ungulate mammals. They form the family Camelidae. There are six living species of camelids.

Camelus dromedarius, young animal

Taxonomy

• Camelidae
  • Genus Lamma
    • Llama, Lama glama
    • Guanaco, Lama guanicoe
  • Genus: Vicugna
    • Vicuña, Vicugna vicugna
    • Alpaca, Vicugna pacos, formerly Lama pacos
  • Genus Camelus
    • Dromedary, Camelus dromedarius
    • Bactrian Camel, Camelus bactrianus

The animals of the genus Camelus are also called Afro-Asiatic Camelids. The animals of the genus Lama and genus Vicugna are also called South American Camelids.

Hybrid

There also exists a camelid hybrid called a Cama. It is the child of a female Llama and a male Dromedary Camel. The Cama does not exist in nature, but is "made" by humans through artificial insemination (that means the sperm is artificially put into the female).

Habitat

The two Camelus species originally lived in northern Africa, south-west and eastern Asia. The other four camelids lived in South America.

Camelids and humans

Camelids have been domesticated by humans for about 5000 years. They have been important for transport, but were also kept for wool, meat and milk. The llama and alpaca were very important for the South American cultures, like the Inca. The camels were used by people in north Africa and Asia, especially in deserts.

Camelids in the Andes

South American camelids were important in Andean societies for food, wool, transport, and religion. In the Tiwanaku culture (in the Andes), people used camelid meat, wool, hide, bone, and dung, and camelids were often part of rituals. Archaeologists have found camelids buried in important places, sometimes with human burials or valuable offerings, which suggests they may have had sacred signifigance.

Tiwanaku art also shows camelids as pack animals in caravans. Some painted drinking bowls (tazones) show camelids carrying bundles and being led with rope by a person, reflecting their real-life uses.

Some Tiwanaku images show a rare “camelid sacrificer” figure (a human-camelid mix) carrying a trophy head or an axe. Researchers say this image is most common on portable objects like carved bone tubes, textiles, and snuff-related items, often found in places connected to caravan travel. This shows that camelids were a part of Tiwanaku religious ideas and symbols of power. Researchers say camelids and humans share camay (an essence/power of being), and the Tiwanaku Camelid Sacrificer represents tucoy (the process of becoming/transforming into a new form).