Alpacas may just be the cutest of all the Camelidae family, which includes llamas, guanacos and vicunas from South America, and Bactrian and Dromedary camels from Asia and Africa.
But beyond their charming, quirky good looks, these creatures are responsible for bearing some of the silkiest, most versatile fibre found in nature, for which they are shorn annually. Alpaca is a specialty fibre that has been described as stronger than mohair, finer than cashmere, smoother than silk, softer than cotton, warmer than goose down and better breathing than thermal knits. Along with that, alpacas themselves possess some pretty remarkable personality traits.
Alpacas were domesticated by the Incas more than 6000 years ago and raised for their exquisite fleece. Due to its quality and all of its superhero characteristics, alpaca fibre was reserved exclusively for the elite and nobility.
Fibre
Alpaca fibre is much like sheep’s wool, but warmer and not itchy. It is lacking in lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic and also allows it to be processed without the need for high temperatures or harsh chemicals in washing, therefore more environmentally friendly.
Alpaca fibre 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, and sweaters, socks, coats and bedding in other parts of the world. The fibre comes in more than 52 natural colours as classified in Peru, 12 as classified in Australia, and 16 as classified in the United States., from white to light rose grey to dark fawn, in addition to the blends that can be made from those, thus minimising the need for pollution-intensive dying.
Alpacas come in two types: Suri and the huacaya. The suri has fibre that grows long and forms silky dreadlocks. The huacaya has a woolly, dense, crimped fleece — like a teddy bear — giving it a very woolly appearance
Behaviour
Alpacas can sometimes be aggressive, but they can also be very gentle, intelligent, and extremely observant. For the most part, alpacas are very quiet, but male alpacas are more energetic when they get involved in fighting with other alpacas.[10] When they prey, they are cautious but also nervous when they feel any type of threat. They can feel threatened when a person or another alpaca comes up from behind them. When they are young, they tend to follow larger objects and to sit near or under them. An example of this is a baby alpaca with its mother. This can also apply when an alpaca passes by an older alpaca.
Humming is the most common sound that alpacas make. Alpacas hum when they are curious, content, worried, bored, fearful, distressed or cautious. When startled or in danger, a staccato braying is started by one animal, then followed by the rest of the herd in the direction of the potential threat. During breeding, the male alpaca Romeo emits a unique throaty vocalization called “orgling.”
Spitting
Not all alpacas spit, but all are capable of doing so. “Spit” is somewhat euphemistic; occasionally the projectile contains only air and a little saliva, although alpacas commonly bring up acidic stomach contents (generally a green, grassy mix) and project it onto their chosen targets. Spitting is mostly reserved for other alpacas, but an alpaca will also occasionally spit at a human.
Spitting can result in what is called “sour mouth”. Sour mouth is characterized by a loose-hanging lower lip and a gaping mouth
Alpacas can spit for several reasons. A female alpaca spits when she’s not interested in a male alpaca, typically when she thinks she’s already impregnated. Both sexes of alpaca keep others away from their food, or anything they have their eyes on. Most give a slight warning before spitting by blowing air out and raising their heads, giving their ears a “pinned” appearance.
Alpacas can spit up to ten feet if they need to. For example, if another animal does not back off, the alpaca will throw up its stomach contents, resulting in a lot of spit.
Hygene
Alpacas use a communal dung pile, where they do not graze. This behaviour tends to limit the spread of internal parasites. Generally, males have much tidier, and fewer dung piles than females, which tend to stand in a line and all go at once. One female approaches the dung pile and begins to urinate and/or defecate, and the rest of the herd often follows
Reproduction
Females areinduced ovulators, the act of mating and the presence of semen causes them to ovulate. Females usually conceive after just one breeding, but occasionally do have trouble conceiving. Artificial insemination is technically difficult, expensive and not common, but it can be accomplished. Embryo transfer is more widespread.
A male is usually ready to mate for the first time between two and three years of age. It is not advisable to allow a young female to be bred until she is mature and has reached two-thirds of her mature weight. Over-breeding a young female before conception is possibly a common cause of uterine infections. As the age of maturation varies greatly between individuals, it is usually recommended that novice breeders wait until females are 18 months of age or older before initiating breeding.[18]
The gestation period is, between 11 – 13 months and usually results in a single offspring, or cria. Twins are rare, occurring about once per 1000 deliveries.[19] Cria are generally between 15 and 19 pounds.
Life Span
The average lifespan of an alpaca is between 15–20 years, and the longest-lived alpaca on record is 27 years.