Kingdom: Animalia | Phylum: Chordata | Class: Mammalia | Order: Artiodactyla | Family: Camelidae
Genus: Llama | Species: Glama
Genus: Llama | Species: Glama
Llamas’ live in places such as the Andes Mountains which are located in South America, these mountains are extremely high and reach altitudes of 7,400 – 12,800 feet. Due to this type of environment the Llama has specially adapted to survive and intake the 40% of oxygen that is within the thin air. To begin with they have thick hair that keeps them warm in cold harsh weather conditions, it also keep them camouflaged amongst the rocks due to shades of black, cream and brown that are spotted to disperse the colour. They only have two toes on each foot that are equipped with thick leathery pads which help them to grip and clamber along rocks. Another strange adaptation is the method of which they walk, using legs on the same side simultaneously; this allows them to run faster when escaping predators.
Their most unique adaptation is their permanant respiratory system and their ability to breath. They have extra red blood cells with a higher infinity and therefore much more, long lasting haemoglobin which is attached; this is what binds with oxygen and then becomes oxyhaemoglobin. A Llamas' haemoglobin is able to absorb more oxygen being many in numbers and through evolving. The graph shows an oxygen dissociation curve; it shows that a Llamas' haemoglobin is able to bind at greater height more than an animal that lives upon lower grounds. However if the line for the Llama was further to the left it would state that the haemoglobin would be unable to release the oxygen to the tissue after binding.
Although having an extra amount of haemoglobin is an advantage it also makes the blood cells thicker and more likely to stick as it flows through the body, which in turn creates more work for the heart to pump around. However another advantage is that Llamas' have a larger capacity in their lungs which gives them the ability to gain a bigger intake of breath. Their respiratory system allows the red blood cells to take the little oxygen that flows in sufficiently, allowing the oxygen to be carried around the Llamas’ body and maintain the homeostasis. Having the ability to intake oxygen as normal means that the Llama is able to function as normal – this is ideal for situations such as fright or flight when the sympathetic nervous system reacts for escaping predators such as snow leopards and mountain lions.