Alpaca Trivia | 40 facts about the cute animal

The alpaca is a species of South American camelid mammal. It is similar to, and often confused with, the llama.

Let’s find out more about the alpaca!

1. The alpaca is a species of South American camelid mammal.
2. It is similar to, and often confused with, the llama.
3. However, alpacas are often noticeably smaller than llamas.
4. The two animals are closely related and can successfully crossbreed.
5. Both species are believed to have been domesticated from their wild relatives, the vicuña and guanaco.
6. There are two breeds of alpaca: the Suri alpaca and the Huacaya alpaca.
7. 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.
8. Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas.
9. Unlike llamas, they were not bred to be working animals, but were bred specifically for their fiber.
10. Alpaca fiber is used for making knitted and woven items, similar to sheep’s wool.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Alpacas communicate through body language.
14. The most common is spitting to show dominance, when they are in distress, fearful, or feel agitated.
15. Male alpacas are more aggressive than females, and tend to establish dominance within their herd group.
16. 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.
17. 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industry, “alpaca” primarily refers to the hair of Peruvian alpacas, but more broadly it refers to a style of fabric originally made from alpaca hair, such as mohair, Icelandic sheep wool, or even high-quality wool from other breeds of sheep.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.
18. An adult alpaca generally is between 81 and 99 centimetres (32 and 39 inches) in height at the shoulders (withers).
19. They usually weigh between 48 and 90 kilograms (106 and 198 pounds).
20. Raised in the same conditions, the difference in weight can be small with males weighting around 22.3 kilograms (49 lb 3 oz) and females 21.3 kilograms (46 lb 15 oz).
21. The relationship between alpacas and vicuñas was disputed for many years.
22. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the four South American lamoid species were assigned scientific names.
23. At that time, the alpaca was assumed to be descended from the llama, ignoring similarities in size, fleece and dentition between the alpaca and the vicuña.
24. Classification was complicated by the fact that all four species of South American camelid can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
25. The advent of DNA technology made a more accurate classification possible.
26. In 2001, the alpaca genus classification changed from Lama pacos to Vicugna pacos, following the presentation of a paper on work by Miranda Kadwell et al. on alpaca DNA to the Royal Society showing the alpaca is descended from the vicuña, not the guanaco.
27. Alpacas are generally very trainable and usually respond to reward, most commonly in the form of food.
28. They can usually be petted without getting agitated, especially if one avoids petting the head or neck.
29. Alpacas are usually quite easy to herd, even in large groups. However, during herding, it is recommended for the handler to approach the animals slowly and quietly, as failing to do so can result in danger for both the animals and the handler.
30. Alpacas and llamas have started showing up in U.S. nursing homes and hospitals as trained, certified therapy animals.
31. The Mayo Clinic says animal-assisted therapy can reduce pain, depression, anxiety, and fatigue. This type of animal therapy is growing in popularity, and there are several organizations throughout the United States that participate.
32. Not all alpacas spit, but all are capable of doing so.
33. “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.
34. Spitting can result in what is called “sour mouth”. Sour mouth is characterized by “a loose-hanging lower lip and a gaping mouth.”
35. Alpacas can spit for several reasons. A female alpaca spits when she is not interested in a male alpaca, typically when she thinks that she is 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.
36. 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.
37. Some signs of stress which can lead to their spitting habits include: humming, a wrinkle under their eye, drooling, rapid breathing, and stomping their feet. When alpacas show any sign of interest or alertness, they tend to sniff their surroundings, watch closely, or stand quietly in place and stare.
38. When it comes to reproduction, they spit because it is a response triggered by the progesterone levels being increased, which is associated with ovulation
39. Because of their preference for using a dung pile for excreting bodily waste, some alpacas have been successfully house-trained.
40. Alpacas develop dental hygiene problems which affect their eating and behavior. Warning signs include protracted chewing while eating, or food spilling out of their mouths. Poor body condition and sunken cheeks are also telltales of dental problems.