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.