·
Alpaca’s appearance resembles to small llama.
·
Alpaca’s biological name is Vicugna pacos.
·
Alpacas are found in Ecuador,
Bolivia, and Chile.
·
Alpaca fiber is used for knitting and weaving
Items such as socks, coats, hats, sweaters, gloves, blankets, scarves etc.
·
An adult alpaca generally is between 81 and 99
cm in height at the withers
·
They
usually weigh between 48 and 84 kg (106 and 185 lbs).
·
The Moche people of northern Peru often used
alpaca images in their art.
·
The alpaca is larger than the vicuña, but
smaller than the other camelid species.
·
Alpacas are too small to be used as pack
animals. Instead, they are bred exclusively for their fiber and meat.
·
Alpacas and llamas can successfully cross-breed.
The resulting offspring are called huarizo, which are valued for their unique
fleece and gentle dispositions.
·
The herd may attack smaller predators with their
front feet, and can spit and kick.
·
Not all alpacas spit, but all are capable of
doing so.
·
A male is usually ready to mate for the first
time between one and three years of age.
·
A female alpaca may fully mature (physically and
mentally) between 12 and 24 months.
·
The gestation period is 345 ± 15 days, and
usually results in a single offspring.
·
Alpaca fleece is a lustrous and silky natural
fiber.
·
Alpaca fiber is somewhat akin to hair, being
very glossy. The preparing, carding, spinning, weaving and finishing process of
alpaca is very similar to the process used for wool.
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