Camelid

Camelid

Camelid (/kəˈmɛlɪd/; from Latin, camelus) refers to any member of the biological family Camelidae, the only currently living family in the suborder Tylopoda. The extant members of this group are: dromedary camels, Bactrian camels, wild Bactrian camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos.

Etymology

The term Camelid is derived from the Latin camelus, borrowed from Greek κάμηλος (kamēlos), itself borrowed from a Semitic language. The original meaning of the word is "camel", a large, humped mammal of arid regions, domesticated in the Old World.

Classification

Camelids are classified as follows:

• Family: Camelidae
  • Genus: Camelus
    • Species: Camelus dromedarius (Dromedary camel)
    • Species: Camelus bactrianus (Bactrian camel)
  • Genus: Lama
    • Species: Lama glama (Llama)
    • Species: Lama pacos (Alpaca)
  • Genus: Vicugna
    • Species: Vicugna vicugna (Vicuña)
    • Species: Vicugna pacos (Alpaca)
  • Genus: Guanaco
    • Species: Guanaco guanicoe (Guanaco)

Related Terms

• Dromedary: A type of camel with one hump, native to the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.
• Bactrian Camel: A type of camel with two humps, native to Central Asia.
• Llama: A domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures.
• Alpaca: A species of South American camelid, similar to, and often confused with the llama.
• Vicuña: A wild South American camelid, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes.
• Guanaco: A camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama.

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