Introduction
Llamas (Lama glama) and alpacas (Lama pacos) are members of the Camelid
family and have similarities to their distant cousins the camels.
Other South American camelids include the vicuna (Lama vicunga)
and guanaco (Lama guanicoe).
Their inclusion in this family is based upon
their characteristic traits of being hornless, cud-chewing ruminants with an
even number of toes and padded feet. |
Alpaca |
But unlike cattle, llamas have only one
stomach but it is divided into three parts. Llamas have front teeth
only on the bottom jaw and a toothless upper jaw, like a gum.
Their gentle disposition, need for minimal care, and ability to adapt to a
variety of climates makes them an easy species for which to care.
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Vicuna |
Species Characteristics
Llamas are larger than alpacas,
standing 40–45 inches at the withers and 5.5 to 6 feet or taller at the head. They can weigh between 280 and 450
pounds and the average lifespan is 15 to 30 years. Females usually begin
breeding at 15–18 months and males at two and a half years. A llama’s normal
gestation is 350 days, giving birth to a single cria (pronounced creeah). Crias are usually born during daylight hours and weigh between 20–35 pounds. Within an hour post-parturition, the cria is standing and nursing from its
dam. Average weaning age is 4–6 months.
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Alpacas weigh about 100 to 175 pounds and stand about three feet at the
withers. Their life span is about 15–25 years. A female alpaca is usually
bred at 14–16 months and a male reaches full maturity in two to three years. The average gestation is 335 days and a cria may weigh 15–19 pounds.
Alpacas
generally have little trouble during parturition and the cria is usually
found
nursing after the first hour. Twins are rare and there is a low infant
mortality rate. Alpaca mothers are very devoted and protective towards their
young.
Llamas and alpacas share some characteristics. They both communicate through
their posture and through ear and tail movements.
Aggressive modes of communication are foot stamping, kicking, and spitting. Both have two toes on each foot, with a leathery pad on the bottom. They are
social creatures and do best when pastured together. Both llamas and
alpacas
are induced ovulators, exhibiting no heat cycle. Ovulation occurs
approximately 24–36 hours post-breeding, enabling them to be bred at any
time during
the year. It is recommended that females not be bred until at least 12
months of age and when they have reached 60% of adult body weight. They
should not be bred during the hot summer months in North America when heat
stress may be a problem. South American llamas are bred during cooler months
for this reason.
There are a few differences between llamas and alpacas,
including size, ear shape, hair, fleece, and back curvature. The alpacas have
shorter noses and more symmetrical, pearshaped
ears, while llamas’ ears are longer and banana shaped. Most alpacas have a
full “top knot” or “hair-do.” Their fleece is dense over all parts of their
body and the alpaca’s back has a slight upward curve, while the llama’s back
is straight.
Background and History
Llamas are ungulate (hooved mammals) native to the Andes of South America. It is believed that the llama is a descendent of the
guanaco, while the alpaca was domesticated from the wild vicuna for fiber
production. One distinguishing characteristic that links these species to
their wild descendants is that both the alpaca and vicuna have no enamel on
the tongue side of their incisors, which allows these teeth to continually
grow as they wear down from grazing.
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Guanaco |
These are different from llama teeth
which are fully enameled. The animals originated on the North American
central plains forty million years ago and began migrating about three
million years ago. Those
heading west became camels and those moving south are the modern llamas,
alpacas, vicunas, and guanacos.
Camelids became extinct in North America at the end of the last Ice Age
(10,000–12,000 years ago). Llamas were domesticated from guanacos in the Andean highlands of Peru 4,000–5,000 years ago and are among
the oldest domestic animals in the world.
The Incas domesticated the llama in the higher Andes mountains. During the
Incan reign, breeding and production of this species were controlled by
state llama herders and all animals were considered government property.
Llama breeding was closely monitored and hunting was forbidden.
Llamas
provided wool, meat, and fertilizer, and served as pack animals. The Incas
sacrificed male llamas to the gods and their fiber was harvested to make
clothes for the common people. Llama meat was consumed fresh, or salted and
dried for later use. Some parts of the digestive tract were also used as
medicines.
Alpacas are native to South American mountain regions and were first raised
by Andean Indians. After the Incan conquest, alpacas became the basis of
wealth for the Incan society. In the 1600s, Spanish conquistadors invaded
South America and the alpaca herders were forced to move their grazing
ground higher to accommodate merino sheep. The value of their fiber was
first noticed by the English textile industry in the mid-1800s. Ninety-nine
percent of the world’s alpaca population still reside in Peru, Bolivia, and
Chile, and they made their first appearance in the United States in 1983.
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Alpacas |
Uses and Economics
Some uses are: packing, guarding, and wool production, the
latter two of which predominate in North America. The packing capacity or
maximum weight which a llama can bare is 70–120 pounds, and its padded feet
make it a good pack animal, leaving the ground virtually unharmed. Llamas
may be used in pet therapy programs for nursing homes and schools and can be trained to pull a cart.
Llamas are
also raised for their wool, although it is not as
fine as that of the alpacas. Their fiber is oil free and lightweight and may
yield up to 93 percent of its original weight when processed. Llama fiber
colors range from white to black, with shades of beige, brown, red, and
roan. Its fleece may be spotted, solid, or marked in various patterns.
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Llamas have been shown to be effective guard animals against coyotes and
dogs. It is
recommended that the animals used for this purpose be at least 18 months old
and in good health. All males should be gelded (neutered) after two years if
they are going to be used as guards. Early gelding may contribute to
abnormal skeletal development. Females with or without crias have also been
used successfully. It is desirable for all potential guards to be in
good physical condition and conformationally sound. Passive and timid
animals or those that flock near feeding stations and barns are not
considered good choices. Most important, those chosen to guard should
not exhibit aggressive behavior towards humans.
Alpacas are also prized for their wool or fiber, which is noted for its fine
and soft touch and strength. It also holds dyes well. It is warmer than
sheep’s wool, less likely to produce allergens, and contains less lanolin. The average adult alpaca produces 6–9 pounds of fiber per year, and shearing
one animal can produce enough fiber to make 4 to 6 sweaters. South American
Indians use alpaca dung for fuel and fertilizer. Alpacas can be easily
halter trained to lead for the show ring and are docile enough so that
children can handle them. They can be used for packing but carry
considerably less weight than llamas.
Health and
Nutrition
In general, camelid nutritional requirements are similar to those of sheep,
and sheep data have been used to replace unknown llama requirements.
Llama
and alpaca nutrition is divided into life stages. Animals over three years
of age that are not working or females in the first two trimesters of
pregnancy are fed to meet maintenance (maintain body condition and weight)
needs only. The growing stage is from birth until three years of age. Feed
intake is equivalent to 1.8–2.0% of animal body weight in dry matter, and
normal daily water intake is about 4 liters per hundred pounds of body
weight.
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Vicuna |
Recommended maintenance protein levels for llamas and
alpacas are
8–10% of the diet dry matter. Periods of pregnancy and lactation require
12–14% protein levels. The growth stage has the highest protein requirement,
13–14%. Fiber is recommended at 20–30% of the diet dry
matter, regardless of stage. Pasture and hay should comprise the bulk of the
diet and fresh water is necessary. Loose salt and minerals are easier for
these animals to lick than in block form. On a dry lot, camelids may consume
3–5 pounds of hay a day. Llama and alpaca requirements are similar, but
amounts vary between species due to body weight difference.
Routine health practices include annual vaccinations, routine worming,
toenail trimming, and shearing. The specific vaccinations that you
administer to your herd should be based on the diseases present in your
area, as well as those that are effective in other small ruminants, such as
sheep or goats.
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Guanaco |
Maintenance Costs
These camelids are relatively inexpensive to maintain. Up to four
llamas can
graze comfortably on one good acre of pasture, and an adult llama on a dry
lot will require as much as a bale of hay per week. Grain/feed
supplement is sometimes suggested, if the grazing and hay available is of
poor quality. This is especially true in colder climates during the
winter when the animals need more nutrition to keep warm. Some
commercial producers of feed have begun producing pellet feed formulated
specifically to llama and alpaca nutritional requirements and
contain the recommended protein and mineral levels for these camelids.
Yearly maintenance costs
(including veterinary expenses) are estimated at $150 to $250 per animal. A
small yard is sufficient for a llama, but exercise room is needed. A
three-sided shelter that provides a good winter wind break and ample shade
in the summer is suggested. |
Statistics
Nearly all the world’s alpacas reside in Peru, Argentina, and Chile, with
the number of llamas and alpacas in South America estimated at about 3
million of each.
Today there are about 125,000 llamas and 27,000
alpacas in
the United States.
| Kingdom: |
Animalia |
| Phylum: |
Chordata |
| Class: |
Mammalia (mammals) |
| Order: |
Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates) |
|
Suborder: |
Tylopoda (intermediate between the
Suina and Ruminantia) |
| |
|
| Family: |
Camelidae (camels, llamas, etc.) |
| Genus: |
Camelus (old world camelids) |
| Species: |
C.Bactrianus (Bactrian camel) |
| |
dromedarius (dromedary camel) |
| Genus: |
Lama (South American Camelids) |
| Species: |
L.glama (Llama) |
| |
L.pacos (Alpaca) |
| |
L.guanicoe (Guanaco) |
| Genus: |
Vicugna (South American Camelid) |
|
Species: |
V.vicugna or L.vicugna (vicugna) |
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Credits
The information provided above was obtained from various sources. All due
credits are hereby given, without explicit acknowledgements to the following
sources:
Rutger Cooperative Extension - Fact Sheet #FS917, 1998, Bonnie A. Altizio
& Michael L. Westendorf
Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association
Alpaca Association of Western Washington - www.alpacawa.org
Llamapedia - www.llamapaedia.com
Alpaca and Llama Show Assocation - www.alsashow.org
Mark Horrell - www.markhorrell.com
Sweet Maple Alpacas -
www.sweetmaplealpacas.com
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