Llama Senses
NONE of this is authenticated by actual data. This information is solely the result of observation of our own animals over a number of years. As we find supported information, we'll add it to this page.
- Sight
- Sight appears to be the most critical sense for the llama.
- Hearing
- Their hearing appears to be little better than human hearing. Those big long ears are more used as semaphore signalling devices than they are as possible "hearing scoops".
- Smell
- Their sense of smell is about the same as humans. Many folks have told me that the male llamas "can smell the female llamas". That is just not so, in our experience. Llamas, especially male llamas, assume that any large animal seen at a distance is a female llama, with a few exceptions that assume that this is a male llama.
When you lead two llamas of the same sex up to each other, once they get within a few feet of each other, they will start the appropriate interaction for a same llama sex. When you lead up two llamas of a difference sex, they go into male/female typical behavior. When we led up our blind llama to either a male or female llama, he would sniff all over the other llama, clearly very excited. And the sighted male llamas would do the same thing to him. If llamas could scent the differences in the sexes, that wouldn't have happened. We are convinced that it is some visible behaviorial signal that helps the llamas tell the difference, not scent. - Touch
- Llamas often resent grooming, as their very fine fiber matts, snarls easily, or generates static electricity, causing brushing to be quite painful. (This is why we bathe instead of brushing dry, for the most part). Llamas also appear to be uncomfortable with touching over most of their body. A big "treat" for many llamas (which I utilize in Click and Reward training for some), is to walk away or turn your back. (That is, no touching or touching has stopped.)