Alpaca
The Alpaca is a domesticated South American species that resembles a llama in appearance; however, Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike llamas, alpacas were not bred to be beasts of burden but were bred and slaughtered specifically for their fiber. Alpaca fiber is used for making knitted and woven items, much as wool is. In the wild, Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on peaks of the Andes in southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of 3,500 m to 5,000 m. They are social herd animals that live in family groups consisting of a territorial alpha male, females and their young. Alpacas generally eat hay or grasses, but can eat some other plants.
- Height: 76 – 97cm (30 – 38inch)
- Weight: 45 – 80kg (100 – 180pounds)
- Life span: 20 years
- Diet: grass, plants, leaves
- Gestation: 330 – 360 days
- No. Offspring: 1
