Paws For This Week’s Animal Facts: 13 Things To Know About Alpacas

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Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Dec 8, 2021 1:00 PM EST

What do you get when you take a longnecked, big-eyed, four-legged creature and combine it with a fuzzy, loving golden doodle? An alpaca! Native to the Andes Mountains of South America, and regarded as the cutest of the "Camelidae" family (which also includes llamas, guanacos, vicuñas, and camels), alpacas have definitely made a name for themselves. Literally! Alpaca is a pretty cool name. So, this week, we're learning about them!

When thinking of alpacas, I bet the first thing that comes to mind are the bold vibrant colors of which their fibers are dyed by native peoples. And while YES, that is a large portion of their contributions to this world, but they also have quite the personality. From smiling, to silly faces, to literally spitting at things, alpacas know how to express themselves. So sit back, relax, and get ready for your newest animal obsession. 

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  • 01
    Glasses - ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER Alpacas are thought to have been domesticated more than 6,000 years ago by the Incas.
    via icanhascheezburger

    At first, they were farmed mostly in the Puna region of the Peruvian Andes (up on the mountain) and they were later brought to lower elevations. Imagine herding a bunch of soft fluffy alpacas down an ancient mount. How did they do it? Ancient Incas were literally geniuses. 

  • 02
    Picture frame - ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER Therapy alpacas are becoming increasingly common at hospitals, health care facilities, and retirement homes around the world.
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    Ecoregion - ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER. baby alpacas are known as crias which directly translates as "breeding" in Spanish. Newborn alpacas typically weigh between 10 and 17 pounds.
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  • 04
    Photograph - Alpaca fiber is like sheep's wool, except warmer and less itchy. Alpaca fiber is fine, silky, and comes in an array of natural colors, from reddish-brown to rose-gray. CANHAS CHEEZ BURGER.
    via icanhascheezburger
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    Sky - CANHAS CHEEZ BURGER Alpaca fur does not retain water. In fact, it's the second strongest animal fiber after mohair
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    Also, alpaca fur is so nonflammable that it meets the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's rigid testing specifications as a Class 1 fiber. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I think this fabric is the best of the best in terms of natural fibers. Can I order 5 blankets?

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    Llama - ICANHAS ENEE URGER There is an alpaca-llama hybrid called a llalpaca. It's the product of a female alpaca and male llama, and it's treasured for its unique, long fleece.
    via icanhascheezburger
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    Ecoregion - CANHAS BURGER Alpacas tend to use a communal "dung" pile. They designate only a few places in the pasture, or in the wild, where they go in tidy mounds
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    Llama - Alpacas hum softly when they're curious, content, worried, bored, distressed, or cautious ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER
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  • 09
    Nature - ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGER Alpacas are the smallest members of the camel family, on average 3 feet tall and 4-7 feet long
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    Ecoregion - The largest population of Alpacas live in the Andes Mountains of Peru. ANHAS CHEE
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    Camel - ICANHAS CHEEZ BURGR Alpaca meat is a luxury food in Peru.
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    Dog breed - Alpacas don't have teeth in the top-front of their mouths, which is why they sometimes look goofy CANHAS CHEEZ BURGER
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    Llama - CHEEZ Alpacas spit as a defense mechanism and to ward off unwanted attention. For example, a female might spit if she wants to discourage a male's attention
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