Alpacas, a relative of the more familiar llama, and are native to the high Andes mountains of South America. Alpacas are one of the world's oldest domesticated breeds of livestock. With a history predating the Inca empire, alpacas have played a central role in the Andean cultures for five thousand years or more.
Alpacas are related to Camels, being part of the "camelid" family. While the Bactrian and Dromedary camels are found in Asia and the Middle east, in South America are found llamas, alpacas, guanacos and vicuna. All share common traits such as two toed, padded feet, a striding gait and a split upper lip.
Looking at pictures of alpacas, you may have noticed that some are fluffy and others appear to be wearing dreadlocks. These are two different types of alpacas: Suri and Huacaya. The Suri are the more costly and their fiber is greatly valued due to its silky texture. The fellow below is one of these:
The Huacaya alpacas are much more common. Most of the animals at the show were this type. Their fiber is more like that of a sheep's wool although still softer and smoother
Here's one of each side by side:
-Jayne
No comments:
Post a Comment