羊驼
- Alpaca is extremely curious from birth and may harm itself. It actively uses its sense of smell, which enhances its exploratory interest.
- Alpaca has a gentle, peaceful nature and does not spit at people, only at each other during competition for food. Contact with a person is usually accidental.
- Crossbreeding llamas and alpacas produces offspring called huarizo, while vicuñas and alpacas produce pacovicuña, which is unable to reproduce. Pacovicuña has a gentle character and is suitable as a domestic animal.
- Alpacas produce a variety of sounds, including a humming pattern unique to each individual.
- The fleece contains no lanolin, is hypoallergenic and comes in more than 50 natural colours.
- Gestation is about 11.5 months; twins are extremely rare.
- They spit mainly at other alpacas during disputes.
- Animals use communal dung piles that can persist for years.
- There are two breeds: huacaya (fluffy) and suri (with long silky locks).
- Soft foot pads do not damage soil.
年龄
Alpacas typically live for 15 to 20 years, with a maximum and theoretical lifespan of 25 years and 10 months. The species reaches sexual maturity between 1 year and 5 months and 3 years of age. At birth, the young alpaca’s eyes are open and it begins to walk. The embryo develops inside the mother, receiving nourishment through the placenta and not eating independently. The infant alpaca drinks its mother's milk and learns to eat grass during a period lasting from 1 day to 8 months. An adult alpaca is capable of reproduction and independent living, with this stage lasting from 1 to 20 years.
表型
The alpaca has large, pointed ears that capture sounds from a great distance, and a long neck which enables it to reach grass and leaves from the ground and survey its surroundings. The species possesses two-toed feet with soft pads, allowing for confident movement on mountain slopes. A thick woolly covering protects the body, retains heat, and can be of various colors. Young alpacas have very soft and dense wool, which protects them from the cold of the highlands. The adult has a dense and thick woolly covering.
生理学
Alpacas have a body height ranging from 68 to 75 centimeters and a body length from 80 centimeters to 1.05 meters; their mass varies from 33.17 to 60.14 kilograms. The embryo stage presents individuals with a body mass from 100 grams to 5 kilograms and a body length from 20 to 40 centimeters. During the juvenile stage, alpacas have a body mass between 5.5 and 20 kilograms and a body length from 60 centimeters to 0.9 meters. Adult alpacas exhibit a body mass ranging from 48 to 68 kilograms and a body length from 80 centimeters to 1 meter.
栖息地
Alpacas inhabit altitudes ranging from 3 to 5 kilometers above sea level and are found in several biomes, including temperate mixed forests with warm summers and abundant oak, birch, and maple trees; flooded meadows where water frequently covers the ground and there is plentiful grass; mountainous meadows high in the mountains where it is cold and there is much grass and shrubs; temperate steppes with abundant grass and few trees, where rain occurs; and taiga characterized by cold winters and coniferous trees such as spruce and pine. The species occupies terrestrial landscapes including highlands and tundra, ground meadows and steppes, ground herbaceous areas, and scrubland. The climate varies considerably, encompassing cool summers with temperatures between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius, consistently wet conditions with frequent rain and high humidity, polar tundra with short summers and abundant moss, extremely cold conditions with significant snow and ice, and tundra characterized by cold temperatures, a short summer, and a near absence of trees.
庇护所
Alpacas inhabit open mountain pastures and do not have permanent or long-term shelters. The species uses grass and hay for resting and protection from the sun. They do not have fixed shelters.
地理
Alpacas are found within the biogeographical realms of Neotropics and Palearctics. The species inhabits dry puna ecosystems of the central Andes, South Andean steppe environments, and humid puna ecosystems of the central Andes.
食性
The alpaca feeds on grass and low-growing plants, clipping the grass and chewing food close to the ground; its diet includes grass, leaves, hay, and plants. The species employs a grazing strategy, consuming between 1.5 kilograms and 2.5 kilograms of food daily. Young alpacas are fed milk. In some cultures, the animal is eaten, but it is not considered kosher.
繁殖
Alpacas reproduce sexually, always through fertilization and without generational changes; the female carries a single offspring and gives birth to it. The gestation period for alpacas is 11 months and 1 week, resulting in a litter size of 1, and the young are born live on land. The mother feeds the offspring with milk. Sexual maturity occurs between 1 and 3 years of age, and the interval between reproduction cycles is from 1 to 2 years. The species inhabits and develops on land, outside of bodies of water.