How to distinguish a llama from an alpaca. Llama Alpaca is a unique animal of the camelid family for the soul and body

Who are alpacas and llamas? What is the difference? After almost a year of living in Peru, I became very interested in understanding this. So, alpaca and llama are animals of the camelid family, whose homeland is the highlands of the Andes. South America. Before arriving in Latin America, I personally had never heard anything about alpacas, and I had a vague idea about llamas. But it turns out that these are different animals and their purposes are also completely different.

How to distinguish a llama from an alpaca?

• The easiest way to distinguish lama from alpacas- look at their ears. U llamas the ears are long and curved, banana-shaped, and alpacas The ears are short and triangular, like the tip of a spear. Here's a look at the photos.
• And also lama And alpaca can be distinguished by the “face” - llamas the muzzle is more elongated, and alpacas- flattened. In addition, at llamas usually there is almost no hair on the face and head, but alpacas- long shaggy bangs falling over the eyes.
  
• Besides, lama twice as much alpacas. Adults alpacas weigh 45-80kg, and llamas— 90-160kg.
• By the way, these animals also differ in character. Alpacas more shy, quiet and very smart. They rarely bite, kick or spit, which is what they are so famous for. llamas(It’s better not to come close to the llamas, otherwise they might spit on you!). Although it happens that alpacas spitting - pregnant alpacas female They spit at the alpaca men so that they don’t even have any thoughts! :)
• Alpacas love to live in a herd among relatives, and llamas They are more independent in nature and sometimes prefer to be alone. But it is much easier to get from them feedback(I remember how on an excursion to Chile the llamas jumped up to our bus because they knew that they would be pampered with cookies there! True, they ate the cookies with pleasure, but they didn’t want to be petted). Moreover, lam often used as “shepherds”, including herding alpacas!
• Wool llamas rougher on the outside with a soft undercoat on the inside. U alpacas just one layer of wool and it’s very, very soft. Despite the large size lam and their incredibly thick fur coat, they get much less wool than from alpacas. The secret is that wool alpacas very, very dense.
  
• That is why the Indians of Peru alpaca domesticated and carefully bred for 6,000 years. Over the same period of time they bred and lam, but not for wool, but as a carrier animal. back at lam more straight, which is just good for transporting things.

There are two types alpacas, Huacaya and Suri. U Huacaya alpacas The fur is short and sticks out perpendicular to the skin, so they look like plush toys. U alpacas Suri the wool is longer, curling at the bottom into dreadlocks.

Wool alpacas very soft and at the same time very durable and light, almost waterproof, with excellent thermal insulation effect. It does not contain lanolin (fat) , produced by the skin glands of sheep), so alpaca items are absolutely hypoallergenic. They also don’t itch like things made from sheep’s wool.

By wool color alpacas varies widely - from blue-black to snow-white, with multiple shades in between.

If crossed lama And alpaca, then it will work out Huarizo- something in between, but in general neither this nor that - neither soft wool, nor a hardy back.

To be honest, the idea for this article came to me after I became interested in “Well, what is the difference between a llama and an alpaca?”. I hope that you were also interested in learning more about these amazing animals!

Friends, our store offers clothes made from natural llama wool, alpaca and cotton, made in Ecuador.

Ecuador is a small country, but despite this, it has several natural areas: Pacific coast, Amazon and Andes jungles. It is in the Andes at an altitude of 3000-3500 m that llamas and alpacas live. These animals resemble a camel in appearance and are its close relatives. Alpacas and llamas were domesticated by the Incas more than 5,000 years ago. Clothing made from the wool of these animals helped them survive in high altitude conditions, where temperature differences between night and day can reach 30 degrees. Exactly for these wool fabrics, colorful and light, the Spaniards took notice and sent them to Europe along with gold and silver.
For the first time lamas to Europe, to the court Spanish king Charles the Fifth was brought by Francisco Pizarro himself - as one of the proofs of the existence of the then not yet found state of “Piru”. Apparently, the appearance of lamas at the royal court created a real sensation. In subsequent decades, many Spanish nobles kept llamas as exotic items in their palaces. When you see a llama, your hands naturally reach out to pet her, gently pat her light mane, look into her sad eyes.

The llama is quite large in size; the height of an adult male at the withers reaches 120 cm. Therefore, initially they were used by the Incas only as cargo animals. Currently, llama wool is very widely used, it is used to make clothes, carpets, pillows, toys, etc. Llama wool fibers have small curls that give the fur softness and tenderness, and also provide air spaces that create insulation and warmth, retain optimal humidity in the range comfortable for wearing, and if moisture gets on the product, repel it. Due to the fact that the fibers do not contain fat, products made from it become less dirty and are easy to wash, with virtually no shrinkage. For the same reason, dust mites, which cause allergies, do not grow in this wool, and carpets and bedspreads remain for a long time clean.

The alpaca differs from the llama in its smaller size, its height does not exceed one meter, they weigh about 70 kilograms and have a soft and long fleece (on the sides its length reaches 15-20 cm). Animals are primarily raised for wool, meat and milk. Like sheep, they are shorn once a year to collect wool, which is used to make sweaters, suits and other high-quality clothing.
Alpaca wool is three times stronger and seven times warmer than sheep wool. The fiber has the largest range of natural shades (about 20) from white and pale pink, cream and burgundy to dark brown and black, with a silky sheen. White wool dyes well, and the product does not shed when worn, because Only natural dyes are used. Animal fur is divided into several types: Royal Alpaca - fiber diameter 19 microns, Baby Alpaca - fiber diameter 22.5 microns, Very soft Alpaca - fiber diameter 25.5 microns and Adult alpaca - 32 microns. These names do not reflect the age of the animals or other phenotypic characteristics. For example, the name 'Baby' is used for yarn, fabric, etc., where the average fiber size is 22.5 microns. This fur does not necessarily come from small alpacas; it can be the fur of an adult animal, but with fine hair.
Very often, alpaca and llama wool is mixed with other materials: cotton and acrylic, thanks to which warm clothes look neat after prolonged wear and washing, and do not form pills on them.
Llama and alpaca give us very soft, thick and pleasant to the touch fur, which also has a healing gift. Lama hair is surprisingly thin and soft, its touch on the body is pleasant, thanks to this the llama is able to positively influence emotional condition owner of the thing. Lama improves mood, relieves irritability, excitability, temper, normalizes blood pressure, increases resistance colds.
Clothing made from llama and alpaca wool is pleasant to the touch, does not cause allergies, is easy to care for, does not deform and does not fade over time. Thanks to unique property alpacas and llamas support comfortable temperature, clothing made from their wool is indispensable in changing climates.

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What types of furs can you see on the fragile shoulders of fashion models? Among them is llama - fur that decorates, warms, soothes and even heals. But first things first.

- a genus of artiodactyl animals of the camelid family.
A South American mammal domesticated by the Andean Indians, along with camels and vicuñas, one of three kinds camelid family (Camelidae). Unlike camels, they do not have a hump. Despite the lack of a hump, llamas have many common features with camels: canine-shaped incisors in the upper jaw, calloused pads on the sole of the cloven hooves (adaptation to rocky soil). Llama is different from alpaca large size and a more elongated head. Tamed in Central Andes. Played a vital role in the Inca cattle breeding. In addition, llamas produce thick and fatty healing milk, which can sometimes serve as the only source of food for Indians living high in the mountains.

The height of an adult male at the withers is 120 cm. The neck is long and thin, the head is relatively small, usually raised high, the ears are high and pointed. Domestic llamas have soft, shaggy fur, middle length; color varies from pure white to black-brown and piebald.

A llama is not as strong as a donkey and not as fast as a horse. And yet, as a beast of burden, she is superior to them both. This species is still used to transport heavy loads over ridges along paths inaccessible to modern transport. Only males are loaded: one animal carries 27-60 kg per day over a distance of approx. 24 km. If the lama feels that the load is too heavy for her, she simply sits down and does not get up until she considers that the load is within her strength. If anyone tries to make her stand up, she will regurgitate what is contained in the first of her three stomachs and spit at him with amazing accuracy and force.

Female llamas are used only for breeding: they are never loaded. Mating season is in September. After a pregnancy lasting 10-11 months, one cub is usually born. Its mother feeds it with milk for six weeks, and llamas reach sexual maturity at three years.

The Incas ate the meat of males, but only special occasions, and the females were never killed. During religious festivals, male cubs were sacrificed to the gods. Supreme God Viracocha was supposed to be brown, the lightning god Ilyapa was supposed to be piebald (to match the color stormy sky), and to the sun god Inti - white.

The llama is an unusually fluffy animal that gives us very soft, thick and pleasant to the touch fur, which is also not afraid of moisture and, on the contrary, after getting wet it becomes more lively, cuter, and curls more tightly into a spiral. Because of its fluffiness, llama is usually used in combination with other materials - sheepskin, goat.

In general, llama fur is very unpretentious and stores well. When purchasing a product with llama trim, you should rather pay attention to the material with which the llama is combined - it is this that dictates the storage conditions.

Sheepskin coats decorated with llama fur are especially good. For the popularization of this image it is worth saying special thanks to the hippie movement. It was they who, in the late sixties of the last century, brought into fashion embroidered Afghan sheepskin coats and sheepskin coats trimmed with Tibetan lama fur. The fashion for such products regularly returns, winning fans among new generations.

Surprisingly, the llama has every chance of becoming a favorite fur among older people. The reason for this is the extraordinary healing gift that llama fur possesses. Lama hair is surprisingly thin and soft, its touch on the body is especially pleasant. Thanks to this, the llama has the ability to positively influence the emotional state of the hostess. Lama improves mood, relieves irritability, excitability and temper. Products made from llama fur and wool normalize blood pressure and increase resistance to colds.

For the first time, llamas were brought to Europe, to the court of the Spanish King Charles the Fifth, by Francisco Pizarro himself - as one of the proofs of the existence of the then-unfound state of Piru. Apparently, the appearance of lamas at the royal court created a real sensation. In subsequent decades, many Spanish nobles kept llamas as exotics in their palaces.(ads3)

In the famous novel “The Fencing Teacher” by Alexandre Dumas, one of the heroes goes to travel to South America, including to admire these strange animals.

Another little-known person is associated with lamas interesting fact- scientists believe that the Peruvian Indians adopted the common habit of chewing coca bush leaves from llamas, who still never miss an opportunity to chew the “invigorating” leaves.

But beyond Latin America Lama, like centuries ago, is exotic. A small llama costs more than a huge one Indian elephant- so one of the Russian companies, satisfying the requests of Russian millionaires, brings llamas to order - officially, but they cost from 20 to 40 thousand dollars. After all, not all zoos in the world have cute llamas.

Tourists who come to Peru usually cannot help but stroke the llama, gently pat her light mane, and look into her sad eyes. Therefore, now llamas are also used in tourism - llamas accompany tourist routes, giving them a unique exotic flavor.

Many farmers in Europe (for example, Denmark) also keep llamas - among ordinary cows and sheep. It is a tribute to fashion to have some exotic animals living among ordinary livestock.

- a domestic artiodactyl animal descended from the vicuna (vigoni). The height of alpacas does not exceed one meter, they weigh about 70 kilograms and have a soft and long fleece (on the sides its length reaches 15-20 cm). They live in the Andes at an altitude of 3500-5000 meters, in Ecuador, southern Peru, northern Chile and northern Bolivia. Alpaca is an elegant and intelligent animal with long neck, which has been grown for its warm, luxurious wool for over 5,000 years. Alpaca, like Lama, belongs to the camel family and lives in the highlands of the Peruvian Andes at an altitude of about 4000 meters above sea level. To survive in these tough natural conditions Alpacas have a “coat” of thick, incredibly warm and soft wool. Today, almost three million alpacas live in South America (85% of them in Peru). Animals are primarily raised for wool, meat and milk. Like sheep, they are shorn once a year to harvest the world's famous warm wool, which is used to make sweaters, suits and other clothing. Alpaca is also a source of fur, from which carpets, bedspreads, pillows, toys and other home furnishings are made. Alpaca fur is rarely used in the production of outerwear, but is often found as a finishing material.

Alpaca wool is highly valued in the yarn market due to its high quality, proven in long-term use. Alpaca wool is three times stronger and seven times warmer than sheep wool. Living high in the mountains, where the temperature difference between day and night reaches 30 degrees, alpacas have warmer fur than other animal species. The fibers contain small curls that give the fur softness and delicacy, while also providing air spaces that create insulation and warmth. In addition, unlike merino wool, Alpaca fur is completely free of lanolin and other organic fats. This means that dust mites do not live in it and the fur does not in any way cause allergies associated with dust mites. Therefore, down and warm clothes made from alpaca wool are not only wear-resistant and pleasant to the touch, but also do not cause allergic reactions the human body, and it also has medicinal properties. It is best if this long shiny wool is combined with other materials. By itself, this yarn is quite expensive, however, in combination with other artificial fibers, alpaca wool especially shows its positive traits and demonstrates its superiority more clearly.

Products made from alpaca wool mixed with other materials are, first of all, immediately noticeable in their appearance. Warm clothes, after prolonged wear and washing, remain looking neat and tidy, the material does not pill and does not form scary pellets, because of which you have to refuse an exclusive item.

Alpaca fur, which is free of fat, is very resistant to stains, so carpets, bedspreads and any other product made from this fur will remain clean for a long time.

In nature, there are two types of Alpaca: Suri (Suri) and Huacaya (Huacaya). Animals differ only in the appearance of their fur. The fur itself is divided into several types: fiber with a diameter of 19 microns is called “Royal Alpaca”, 22.5 microns - “Baby Alpaca”, 25.5 microns - “Super Soft Alpaca”, 32 microns “Adult Alpaca”. These names do not reflect the age of the animals or other phenotypic characteristics. For example, the name 'Baby' is used for yarn, fabric, etc., where the average fiber size is 22.5 microns. This fur does not necessarily come from small alpacas; it can be the fur of an adult animal, but with fine hair.

This unique fiber has the largest range of natural colors in nature (over 22 shades), ranging from black to grey, burgundy, brown, cream and white. Alpaca fibers are straighter than sheep's wool, are not creaky and are extremely rich and silky with a subtle sheen. Such qualities are not found in any other type of fur. Products made from alpaca fur will fill you with a feeling of warmth and security.

So, to summarize: although the alpaca and the llama are cousins, they are completely different.

Comparative characteristics of alpaca and llama
Alpaca	Lama
Weight up to 150 kg	Weight up to 400 kg
Has a very soft, fine, uniform coat of medium length	Llama wool is also thin, but long, coarser and shaggier, and very uneven in quality.
A very gentle and timid animal that needs protection	A strong and brave animal, the male is the guardian of the herd
Raised exclusively for its valuable wool and meat	In addition to wool, their meat and skins are marketed, and they are also used as beasts of burden.

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Worldwide close relative camels and llamas with the invincible name alpaca (m.r.) are valued for their excellent wool, which is considered perhaps the key export item of Peru.

Description alpaca

This humpless camelid is the result of selective breeding to produce a domesticated species with abundant, high-quality hair. Vicugna pacos (alpaca) is classified as an artiodactyl mammal descended from Vicugna vicugna (vicuna or vigon). The vicuña itself belongs to the suborder Callopods from the family Camelidae (camelids).

Appearance

The animals are classified as callosed because of the calloused outgrowth that replaces their feet and hoofs. Their two-fingered limbs are equipped with blunt curved claws, due to which alpacas are forced to walk, relying on the phalanges of their fingers. Thanks to this feature, all calloused animals do not trample the pasture, like sheep or goats. Alpacas have a bifurcated lower lip, no teeth on the upper jaw, and strong incisors (which grow throughout life) on the lower jaw. Due to the absence of upper teeth, animals tear off vegetation with their lips and chew with the help of their lateral teeth.

Differences between alpaca and llama

Both belong to the camelid family, but the alpaca is considered a direct descendant of the Vicuña species, and the llama is considered a descendant of the species. Growing to about a meter tall, the alpaca is usually slightly larger than a sheep, but almost half the size. An adult alpaca weighs 45–80 kg, and an adult llama weighs from 90 to 160 kg. They are also distinguished by the configuration of their muzzle: in the llama it is more elongated, in the alpaca it is flattened. The llama has almost no fur on its face and head, while the alpaca has long, shaggy bangs that cover its eyes. In addition, the llama's head has curved, banana-shaped ears. Alpacas have smaller ears that look like triangles.

On the inside, the coarse llama wool is duplicated with undercoat, which is absent in the softer alpaca coat. In addition, the structure of its wool is denser, which allows you to cut many times more with a smaller processing area. The difference is also observed in the characters. Friendly alpacas are not prone to wantonly kicking, biting and spitting, like llamas do. The latter sometimes move away from the group, while alpacas prefer to stay in the herd.

This is interesting! Both species interbreed, producing the huarizo. The hybrid is obedient and easy to control, however, it does not have the hardy back of a llama and the amazing wool of an alpaca, and besides, it is not capable of reproduction.

And one last thing. Alpacas are protected as the main producers of unique wool, which is why they are not used as pack animals (unlike llamas). It is said that llamas are even entrusted with shepherding duties to look after the alpacas.

Wool

Alpaca has a soft long fleece that hangs 15–20 cm at the sides, which is used for felt, fabric or yarn. Animals are shorn in the same way as sheep, but the resulting wool is 3 times stronger and 7 times warmer than sheep's wool. The color palette includes over 52 (!) natural shades, the most popular (but not rare) among which is white, as it is easier to dye.

Albino fleece is in high demand and is sold at a higher price, which is why white alpacas are more profitable to breed. Wool sheared from young animals is especially valued, despite its relatively small volume (up to 1 kg in 2 years). For reference, an adult alpaca gives approximately 5 kg.

Properties of alpaca wool:

• does not contain lanolin (the fat present in sheep's wool);
• hypoallergenic (dust mites do not grow in it);
• the hair is soft and does not prick, like sheep;
• resistant to external pollution;
• extremely light;
• repels moisture well.

All these qualities together turn alpaca wool into a valuable product, whose derivatives are distinguished by practicality, brightness, cleanliness, comfort and durability.

Important! Carpets, rugs and bedspreads made from alpaca wool do not lose their pristine purity for a long time. Knitted and fabric clothes with the “Alpaca” label do not fade, do not pill, keep you warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather.

It is not surprising that people are increasingly purchasing products without paying attention to their high cost.

Character and lifestyle

Tourists think that animals lead an absolutely free lifestyle, but this is not so. Some alpacas are kept on special farms, while others (periodically caught for shearing) have adapted to a semi-wild existence and free high-mountain grazing.

Life in nature

Alpacas group in small herds, usually consisting of a single male and 4–10 females. The family has a strict hierarchy with rejection of outside males and internal struggle for rank. Animals are awake during the day and rest at night: at this time they intensively digest the food eaten during the day. Alpacas use body language to communicate with others, including ear tilt, neck rotation, and body posture.

Members of the herd are quite lenient towards each other and rarely get angry. As a rule, they run away from danger. Despite adaptation to mountains, alpacas (unlike mountain goats) can only graze in horizontal areas with large area. Survival in harsh conditions high altitudes (with a temperature difference of 30 degrees) are ensured by the remarkable characteristics of the fur, as well as the structure of red blood cells. Like other calloused animals, alpaca red blood cells are not round, but oval, so there are a lot of them. Due to the increased content of red blood cells, animals breathe easily even in thin air.

Alpaca and man

In captivity, alpacas quickly get used to people, demonstrating their best traits - curiosity, peacefulness, shyness and charm. In terms of character, they are more reminiscent of cats, since they approach a person based on own desire. Like all camelids, alpacas periodically spit, but they do this much less frequently than llamas, and usually out of necessity, to free themselves from unpleasant stomach acid.

This is interesting! Spitting is mostly directed at fellow herd members and very rarely at unsympathetic people. Females in interesting position“shoot back” with saliva from especially lustful males encroaching on them.

In general, alpacas are smart and clean creatures that relieve themselves in public toilets(equipped on farms). Animals love water, where they often frolic, swim or just lie. From time to time they make funny sounds that resemble the quiet bleating of a sheep. A fleeing alpaca signaled the Incas about danger, after which they had to repel the attack of a predator or join the artiodactyl. Nowadays, alpacas successfully participate in pet or animal therapy sessions, having a beneficial effect on children and adults.

How long do alpacas live?

According to some reports, only conditionally domesticated animals, which spend most of their time in the mountains, live relatively long - up to 20–25 years. In domestic alpacas bred on farms, the lifespan is reduced threefold - to 7 years (insufficiently confirmed information).

Types of alpaca

Breeders have developed two species, distinguished by the texture/structure of the fleece - Huacaya (Huacaya) and Suri (Suri). Since the first species is more common, it is Huacaya that is usually called the general term “alpaca”. Huacayas have a short coat where the hair grows perpendicular to the skin, giving the animals the appearance of plush toys.

Suri, with its long soft fleece intertwined at the bottom into dreadlocks, is an exclusive (5% or 120 thousand heads) and the most valuable (twice as expensive as Huacaya) variety of alpaca. It was Suri's wool that was once used for outfits for crowned persons. The Suri fleece (against the background of Huacaya) looks thicker and more uniform. There are no guard hairs that reduce the quality of the fur, but there are fine straight hairs (19–25 microns) with slightly curled ends.

Range, habitats

Peruvian Indians began domesticating the alpaca's ancestors about 6 thousand years ago. According to legend, the fleece of animals (who valued even their dung for fuel) received the allegorical name “fiber of the gods.”

And in our time, alpacas, the vast majority of which inhabit Peru, remain important source income of modern Indians. In addition, the animals live in northern Chile, Ecuador, western Bolivia and Argentina. Alpaca herds roam the Peruvian highlands (800 m above sea level) and graze in the highlands of the Andes (at an altitude of 3.5–5.0 thousand m), reaching the border of snow with sparse vegetation.

Alpaca diet

It is almost no different from the diet of a horse - alpacas are unpretentious and are often content with young grass. 6-10 animals can graze on one acre.

The menu usually includes:

• herbaceous plants;
• shoots;
• leaves;
• salt licks.

Looking for the freshest and most nutritious plants, artiodactyls carefully examine the high mountain plateaus and move extremely slowly. If necessary, the herd migrates to more fertile areas. Wealthy farmers often enrich the range of pasture by planting clover or alfalfa in the meadows, as well as adding minerals and hay to the alpaca’s diet.

When feeding, several points must be observed:

This is interesting! The emphasis in nutrition is on grass/hay, although the daily volume of food eaten is small - 1.5 kg per 55 kg own weight. It is estimated that one alpaca eats approximately 500 kg of hay per year. The amount and composition of food consumed also depend on age (baby or adult), gender, pregnancy and lactation period.