Alpaca

(Vicugna pacos or Lama pacos)

Live: Domesticated in Peru, Bolivia and Chile mostly. These animals are derived from the wild Vicuña.

Habitat: High altitude ranches. These 'camelids' have been domesticated for thousands of years - there are no wild alpaca.

Diet: A range of grasses and other vegetation.

Gestation: 11 ½ months, average 1 offspring every year. 

Longevity: 20-30 years

Cosnservation Status: Thriving as a domesticated animal. Farmed for hair and meat, not used as a beast of burden.

General: Gentle, elegant, inquisitive and observant. Social herd animals, alpaca are nervous of potential predators. An alpaca does not like to be approached from behind, have its head touched or feel 'crowded'. Threatening humans or other animals may be spat at or kicked. Humans are not always the target of spitting, but may be hit accidentally!

Like camels, alpacas spit the foul smelling contents of their stomach as a warning to 'get lost'. There stomach: has 3 chambers permitting ruminant style eating, even toed ungulates, these animals are termed artiodactyls. They have two toes per foot.

Alpacas hum! They can also shriek to warn of danger, and a few other vocalisations. Males may scream while fighting.  Males are very territorial and will fight over females.

There coat naturally occurring in 22 colours, in shades of brown, white, black, fawn, dusky greys.
White is the predominant colour- due to selective breeding, its also easier to dye and sell.  There are two types of alpaca: huacaya "crinkly fur" and suri "silky fur". Suri fur is less adapted for the cold: fewer of these exist that huacaya.

A communal dung pile is used, and grazing near it does not occur - this is thought to limit the spread of internal parasites. (Males supposedly tend to have tidier dung piles than females do!)

Alpacas and llamas can (and do) crossbreed; offspring are called huarizo.
While alpaca are domesticated and common, the Vicuña is endangered due to poaching.

Male = stallion/bull
Female = mare/cow
Young = cria

Statistics:
Height: 1.5 m
Weight: 65 kg; at birth 7 kg
Sexual maturity: 1 year (female) 2-3 years (male) In 2001 the genus name changed from Lama, in recognition of the true ancestry, as shown by DNA studies. 

Related to Bactrian Camel, Dromedary Camel, Lamas, Guanaco and Vicuña.