Global InformationAlpaca information
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| Alpaca | |
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Conservation status
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Domesticated
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Camelidae |
| Genus: | Lama |
| Species: | L. pacos
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| Binomial name | |
| Lama pacos (Linnaeus, 1758)
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| Alpaca range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Camelus pacos Linnaeus, 1758 | |
The alpaca (Lama pacos) is a species of South American camelid mammal. It is similar to, and often confused with, the llama. However, alpacas are often noticeably smaller than llamas. The two animals are closely related and can successfully crossbreed. Both species are believed to have been domesticated from their wild relatives, the vicuña and guanaco. There are two breeds of alpaca: the Suri alpaca and the Huacaya alpaca.
Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador, and Northern Chile at an altitude of 3,500 to 5,000 metres (11,000 to 16,000 feet) above sea level.[1] Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike llamas, they were not bred to be working animals, but were bred specifically for their fiber. Alpaca fiber is used for making knitted and woven items, similar to sheep's wool. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles, and ponchos, in South America, as well as sweaters, socks, coats, and bedding in other parts of the world. The fiber comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru, 12 as classified in Australia, and 16 as classified in the United States.
Alpacas communicate through body language. The most common is spitting to show dominance[2] when they are in distress, fearful, or feel agitated. Male alpacas are more aggressive than females, and tend to establish dominance within their herd group. In some cases, alpha males will immobilize the head and neck of a weaker or challenging male in order to show their strength and dominance.
In the textile industry, "alpaca" primarily refers to the hair of Peruvian alpacas, but more broadly it refers to a style of fabric originally made from alpaca hair, such as mohair, Icelandic sheep wool, or even high-quality wool from other breeds of sheep. In trade, distinctions are made between alpacas and the several styles of mohair and luster.[3]
An adult alpaca generally is between 81 and 99 centimetres (32 and 39 inches) in height at the shoulders (withers). They usually weigh between 48 and 90 kilograms (106 and 198 pounds).[4] Raised in the same conditions, the difference in weight can be small with males weighing around 22.3 kilograms (49 lb 3 oz) and females 21.3 kilograms (46 lb 15 oz).[5]
- ^ "Harvesting of textile animal fibres". UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
- ^ "Alpaca – Lama pacos – Details". Encyclopedia of Life.
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 721–722.
- ^ Frequently Asked Questions – Blue Moon Ranch Alpacas
- ^ Windsor, R. H. S.; Teran, Milagro; Windsor, R. S. (1 March 1992). "Effects of parasitic infestation on the productivity of alpacas (Lama pacos)". Tropical Animal Health and Production. 24 (1): 57–62. doi:10.1007/BF02357238. ISSN 1573-7438. PMID 1306920. S2CID 20550696.