Mammals · Artiodactyla · Camelidae

Alpaca

Vicugna pacos

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

The alpaca is a domestic camelid bred in the Andes for its fibre, one of the finest and most highly valued in the world. Genetic analyses published in 2001 showed that it descends from the vicuña and not from the guanaco, as had been believed. It grazes the short grasses of the high Andean bofedales, or peat wetlands, and unlike the llama it is not used as a pack animal. Peru holds most of the world's stock. It is a gregarious animal and suffers if kept apart from other camelids.

Weight

45 kg – 85 kg

Size

1.2 m – 1.5 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

MountainGrasslandHerbivore Diurnal Mountain Grassland Mammal

7countries5same family

Fun facts

GeneralDomesticated some 6,000 years ago for its fleece; it does not exist in the wild and descends from the vicuña.
Its fibre contains no lanolin, the grease of sheep's wool, so it rarely triggers allergies and needs no harsh washing before spinning.
The whole herd uses the same communal latrines, a habit that makes parasite control and the collection of dung for manure easier.