Vicugna pacos
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Camelidae
Size : 0,85 m at the shoulder on average
Weight: 70-80kg
Geographical breakdown :
The alpaca lives in the Andes at approximately 4 500 metres altitude. The breeding of alpacas is developping all over the world, notably in England, Switzerland, Australia as well as America and Canada.
Origine: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Perou
Diet :
Alpacas feed on all types of grass (apples, carrots, grains and hay). Its daily food intake is 1.5 to 2 kg per day and can reach 3 kg for a female alpaca in gestation.
Gestation :
The female alpaca carries her young one 11 months before giving birth. She only has one at a time and nurses it for approximately 6 months.
Shearing :
In France, alpacas are generally sheared once a year in May or June. This way they do not suffer from the heat in the summer or the cold in the winter. According to the size and quality of the coat, an alpaca produces on average 2.5 kg of wool.