About Alpacas
Coming from the high mountain ranges of the Andes in South America, alpacas are part of the camelid family, cousins to camels, llamas, vicunas and guanacos. The Andean people reverred the alpaca in ancient times, calling its fleece - the fibre of the Gods - and therefore reserved for only royalty to wear. The alpacas fleece is stronger and warmer than wool. It has a soft, lustrous feel to it.
Alpacas are smaller than the llama and have a long, graceful neck. There are two different breeds of alpaca - the huacaya and the suri.
The huacayas fleece is crimped and grows out from the body and looks like a long-necked sheep while the suris fleece grows in dreadlocks.
Alpacas are induced ovulators and it is the act of mating that brings about pregnancy. Their gestation period is around 335 days, about 11 months. A long time to be pregnant!
Alpacas are very peaceful creatures to watch. They can entertain you for hours. They have a natural curiosity and are generally friendly creatures, although don't be fooled. They can kick or spit on you or other alpacas if they feel threatened.
They are fairly easy to care for animals and the fact that they have soft padded feet make them friendly to the environment.
- Males are known as machos
- Females are known as hembras
- A male for breeding is a stud male
- A nutured male is a wether
- A baby alpaca is a cria
- A cria 6-12 months is a weanling
