Llamas are grazers, consuming low shrubs and other kinds of plants. They are native to the Andes and adapted to eat lichens and hardy mountainous vegetation. When raised on farms or kept as pets, llamas eat a diet similar to that of sheep and goats.
Llamas need a lot of fiber and their primary diet is made up of fibrous plants. Depending on their environment, these can be grass, hay, leaves, weedy herbs or young shoots. They also eat tubers, roots and tree foliage.
Because llamas are adapted for harsh mountain life, they are able to live off of little water and a wide variety of nutrient-poor plants. Milder environments, like pasture with rich soil, can cause weight gain if the animal is allowed to graze freely. Alfalfa hay, rich in calcium, is also potentially harmful as it can cause digestive problems in adults.
