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What is an Alpaca
Alpacas are one of four types of Camelids living in South America, the wild Vicuna and Guanaco and the domesticated Alpaca and Lama.
- The Vicuna is a small., wild, deer-like animal that used to be on the endangered species list, and has a light fleece with the finest fibre at 12 microns.
- Alpacas are bred from the Vicuna for their heavy, dense and fine fleece with an average fibre diameter of 18 to 30 microns with a low ‘prickle factor’.
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- Guanacos are rare, timid, and can only be kept with special permits. They have a fleece between that of the Vicuna and Alpaca.
- Lamas are the largest of the four and were bred for strength as beasts of burden. Their fleece is the coarsest and generally has coarse hairs intermingled with finer ones all over the animal, and so feels somewhat ‘prickly’, especially when compared to alpaca fleece.
- Alpacas and lamas were domesticated about 5000 years ago.
- Lamas were used for transport, their dried dung was used as fuel, their skins provided clothing and they were killed for food.
- Alpacas were bred for fibre and were producing fine and silky-soft fleeces as good as, or possibly better than, any found to-day. From this clothing was made for the Incan royalty.
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