Alpaca

The alpaca (Lama pacos) is a domesticated species of South American camelid. Traditionally, alpacas were kept in herds that grazed on the level heights of the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador, and Northern Chile. More recently, alpacas may be found on farms and ranches worldwide, with thousands of animals born and raised annually. Alpacas are especially popular in North America, Europe, and Australia. There are two modern breeds of alpaca, separated based on their respective region of endemism and fiber (wool) type: the Suri alpaca and the Huacaya alpaca. Both breeds produce a highly valued fiber, with Suri alpaca's fiber growing in straight "locks," while Huacaya fiber has a "crimped," wavy texture and grows in bundles. These breeds' fibers are used for making knitted and woven items, similar to sheep's wool. Alpacas are visually and genetically similar to, and often confused with a relative species, the llama; however, alpacas are visibly shorter and predominantly bred for their wool, while llamas have long been more highly prized as livestock guardians (in place of dogs), and as a pack animal (beast-of-burden), owing to their nimble mountain-climbing abilities. Both the alpaca and the llama are believed to have been domesticated and…