Are Llamas Ruminants?

Like ruminants, a llama chews its cud, which consists of plants it has eaten and then regurgitates and rechews to break down the cellulose in it. But unlike the so-called true ruminants—a type of mammal that includes cattle, sheep, and goats, among others—llamas have a three-chambered stomach. True ruminants have a four-chambered stomach. That means llamas are considered pseudoruminants, not ruminants.

When a llama eats, food enters the first chamber, where microbial fermentation begins. This ingested food material is then regurgitated, rechewed, and swallowed again before passing through the second and third chambers. The last section of the third chamber secretes stomach acid and performs a role similar to the abomasum—the “true stomach” of ruminants—although the arrangement of the chambers differs from the classic ruminant system of rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum.