• The blood contains an unusually high number of red cells and haemoglobin binds oxygen efficiently, allowing work at high altitudes.
• The llama combines stubbornness, high-altitude adaptation and cultural importance in the Andes.

Llamas inhabit altitudes ranging from 2.3 kilometers to 4 kilometers above sea level and occupy flooded meadows, where water frequently inundates the land and there is abundant grass; desert and dry shrubland environments, which are very hot and dry with infrequent rainfall and cacti; mountain meadows, located high in the mountains and characterized by cold temperatures, plentiful grass, and shrubs; and temperate steppes with abundant grass and few trees, where rain occurs. The species lives on land, including terrestrial meadows and steppes, terrestrial grassy areas, and shrubland. Their climate preferences include cold deserts, which are very dry and cold with minimal snow and rainfall; cold steppes, which are dry with cold winters, abundant grass, and few trees; extremely dry conditions where rain is very rare, almost desert-like; cool summers with temperatures between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius; and cold, nearly dry conditions that persist throughout most of the year.