breeds of alpacas

There are two breeds of alpaca: huacaya and suri's. The huacaya is the predominant race and is approximately 90% of the total population of alpacas in the world. Their wool fiber is characterized by its thick curly fleece. The variety of colors is wide, from black to white, red and chocolate brown with a wide variety of tones. The Suri is the rarer breed and represents between 7% and 10% of the population of alpacas in the world. Suri fiber is the most sought due to their special characteristics. Their fleece grows in long and smooth locks that fall vertically to the floor and its fiber is inelastic.

The alpaca can live between 18 and 24 years and continues to produce wool to the end of his life. It is a docile animal, intelligent, loving, shy and curious at the same time, it behaves in an organized and leads a routine life in nature. It erodes the soil where it lives, and cut the grass rather than uproot. It is also characterized by making their needs in one place, facilitating hygiene and maximizes the preservation of their pastures.

 Suri

Huacaya

BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

All camelids, have metatarsal glands, cleft lip, polygamous social organization, use of manure, no significant sexual dimorphism and ovulation induced with a single offspring per litter per year.

The 4 species have the same karyotype and can interbreed with each other and produce fertile hybrids.

They also have a productive life of about 14 years, being capable of reproduction at age 2.

They have 3 stomachs, two pairs of pads at the end of the second phalanx, and the last joint is covered with nails, pad, footpad, not damaging the soil by trampling.

The growth of the incisors is continuous, similar to rodents and have elliptical red blood cells, small and anucleares.

They are territorial especially the vicuna and the guanaco forming social groups classified as families, herds of males and lonely, they act in groups, being gregarious.

In situations of aggression flip ears back and lift the face and tail, especially the males during the mating season, they wallow in loose soil, sand or ash and shit on pre-established sites used as signs of territoriality among families.

Hybrids

The four species of South American camelid can interbreed to produce fertile hybrids between them, but inconstant phenotypic and genotypic characteristics from generation to generation.

The most common natural cross between the llama and alpaca female known as huarizo and less frequent in the llama and alpaca misti known as male.

A hybrid by natural mating or artificial insemination paco vicuna is the result of crossing a female alpaca and vicuna male individual producing a fiber much the fineness of the vicuña but with greater performance.

Some authors believe that these crossings are not recommended since it did not get any real advantage.

Theoretically it is possible to cross between any of the South American camelids and camels of the Old World that would be done by artificial methods.

Camelids Fiber

Camelid fiber textile fiber is classified as animal protein in nature, considered as special textile fibers.

The physico-mechanical fiber camelids are influenced by factors such as age, sex, altitude area of ​​breeding, feeding, genetic, etc.. One of the most important parameters in the classification of the fiber for textile use later is the length, the longest separating styling and shorter for carding.

The finer fibers have no medulla, which gives it an advantage in dyeing. Camelid fiber is solid at the sun, washing, use and physico-chemical processes.

The meat is high in protein, containing 21,274% alpaca and llama 24,821%, low fat and low cholesterol (0.5%).

Vicuña fiber: The vicuña between all camelids have the privilege of owning the animal fiber world's finest. The neck back and sides are light brown or cinnamon belly and inner thighs are white.

Its fleece weighs about 200 grams only consisting of 90% of fine fibers of 12.5 microns in diameter and length 3.2 to 3.8.

Guanaco fiber: has a shaggy coat relatively thin and short, light brown with black tones in the head. The fleece of about 450 gr. has two layers, the first with thick bristly fibers that protect the animal and representing 20% ​​of the total, and the second with very fine hairs (similar to that of the vicuña) ranging from 16.5 to 24 microns.

Alpaca Fiber: The color of the fiber is varied, though more uniform than that of the Flame, from white to black, brown tones presenting clear, dark, as well as silver gray, all as natural colors. The resulting fleece may be single or mixed colors presenting high variability of the fibers in color, average diameter, length, tensile strength, elasticity, flexibility, etc.. The average production of raw fleece per year is 1.6 kg, which pay 85% of clean fiber. The alpaca fiber has poor quality afieltrante with an average diameter of 22 to 24 microns, which is the best white listed on the market.

Llama fiber: The fiber is colored brown (light and dark) and mixtures, corresponding to these so-called natural colors.

The fleece has up to 20% of long bristles and protruding descerdar easy and the remainder are short and thin fibers of 20 to 26 microns.

Guanaco

Problematic: The guanaco is a wild species and is found from northern Peru (Department of La Libertad) to southern Chile and Argentina, with a small town in the Chaco of Bolivia. The total worldwide population reaches more than 500,000 heads, most of them in Argentina.

Population: In Peru, the guanaco is an ENDANGERED SPECIES, with a population not exceeding 5,000 copies, making it urgent to develop strategies for protection and enhancement of its population. You can then think of its use.

History and Habitat: In pre-Hispanic times the guanaco population was much greater, and even today there are cities that do honor to his name, like Huanuco. The guanaco lives from sea level to 3,800 m, is a typical migrant who visit the western slopes of the Andes, during the summer, when they, thanks to the rains are abundant in pastures, and also reaches the coastal hills between June and September, when they turn green vegetation due to the action of mists. Today, migration routes have been cut by guanaco roads and towns, and now only go to few places, such as hills and those of Chaparra Atiquipa.

Potential: Fiber: from 18 to 24 microns in diameter, but with abundant bristles, which involves a process of dehairing. With the fine fiber is possible to make fine fabrics. Leather offers an interesting potential for the tanning and leather processing, and has a high tensile strength. Meat: it is wild-type, low in fat, which promotes human health. Also, being wild, not receive vaccines, medications or other veterinary supplies, and so their meat has excellent potential as a "natural or organic meat," well accepted in world markets. Genetic material: it is of interest to cross-fire and get some special features for its fine fiber.

Opportunities: Andean Trade Preference Agreement - ATPA, which allows entry of fine fibers camelid U.S. market free of tariffs.

Vicuna

Problematic: Peru has 85% of the global population of vicunas, with about 140 thousand heads. This South American camelid live up to 20 years and is adapted to the climate of the highlands, between 3,500 and 5,000 m. The vicuna has a fiber as fine and soft as silk, whose value reached $ 500 per kg, equivalent to more than 2,000 kg of sheep wool. In our mountains there are nearly 18 million hectares of natural pastures suitable for fodder, which could handle up to 1 million vicuñas for the production of fiber listed and your scalp and skin.

Management of vicuña is a great choice for the development of the Andes!

International Agreements: The export of vicuñas and other fertile reproductive material (eggs, frozen embryos, frozen semen, etc..) Is prohibited and regulated by the Convention for the Conservation and Management of the Vicuña, signed in 1979 between Peru, Bolivia , Chile, Argentina and Ecuador.

Handling: There is a danger that reproductive material smuggled out of vicuna vicunas through pacovicuñas alive and well. The pacovicuña is the intersection of alpacas and vicunas, is a hybrid that has 50% of genetic material from the two species mentioned above. Crossing pacovicuñas each other in the first generation out 25% pure vicuna, 25% alpaca and 50% pacovicuñas ... to re-cross hybrids, the proportion is repeated. It is convenient to export pacovicuñas because other countries could obtain genetic material from vicuna and become competitors, and lost the economic potential of vicuña fiber for high Andean Peruvian economy.

Priority Areas: Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Apurimac, Arequipa, Puno, Cusco, Junín and Lima.

Warranties: The legal framework that guarantees contracts between the state and highland communities own the land suitable.

Alpaca

Problematic: Peru has the world's largest population of alpacas, with nearly 3 million copies, and two domesticated varieties: Suri and Huacaya. The huacaya breed has short, curly fiber, and are the majority. The breed suri lives almost exclusively in Puno and its population is declining, so we run the risk of losing its fine, silky fiber up to 40 cm long. Today, due to the lack of management, predominantly white and many alpacas stained. The loss of the fineness of the alpaca fiber must be resolved with proper management, given that the price is closely related to their quality.

Handling: It is urgent to select alpacas in different herds, according to their colors, avoiding the junction with the spotted or "moromoros" in order to improve the quality of their fiber. Another option for the management of the alpaca is a cross between female alpaca fiber vicuna thick with males in order to obtain very fine fiber pacovicuñas. But for this we must bear in mind that these hybrids, despite being fertile, not permanent, and if they return to cross between alpaca and vicuña.

Proposal: To promote the breeding, selection and management of alpacas.

Sectors: Agriculture, Private Sector and Communities.

Experience: Throughout the Peruvian highlands.

Priority Areas: Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Apurimac, Arequipa, Puno, Cusco, Junín, Lima and other departments.

Warranties: The legal framework that guarantees contracts between the state and highland communities own the land suitable.

Benefits: Economic: If you improve the fineness of the alpaca fiber is used in integral form this species (fiber, leather and meat) and its transformation activity would be a $ 50 million annually. Ecological: The characteristics of alpaca help control desertification in the high Andes and that does not erode the soil by trampling, given that the feet have a padded floor and nail or helmet does not touch the ground. Social: One of the few opportunities to improve the poverty conditions of the highland communities along with tourism, mining and aquaculture.

Lama

Problematic: The llama is the home of the guanaco, and their domestication was probably in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia, and Peru's north coast, thousands of years ago.

Population: The Peruvian population flame reaches nearly 900,000 heads and worldwide live about 2.5 million. In traditional and natural flames exist only in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. In pre-Hispanic times was introduced to Ecuador and Colombia, and from the nineteenth century to other countries. Currently, stocks are called in USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, France, Italy and other countries that have managed to value it.

History: The lama was raised intensively during the pre-Hispanic times as the only beast of burden, as it has the capacity to carry up to 75 kg. There were enormous herds of llamas freighters to move the product and there was even a special race, much bigger and stronger, for those purposes ... Today, this breed is very rare. Lama meat was eaten fresh and sun-dried for storage in the form of jerky. The chroniclers who accompanied the conquistadors, who in the stores or colcas were huge reserves of jerky. Llama wool was used to make cloth, ponchos, tapestries and other garments. Flame leather ropes and ties made of high strength. However, their use as beasts of burden has become obsolete with the introduction of horses and the vast network of roads in the Sierra. Today, European countries and USA consider the flame as an animal very green, very efficient in their consumption of food and water, and weather-resistant disease, and have adopted it as a means of transportation within their areas protected.

Management: You can cross to the alpaca and is known as hybrid or llapaca huarizo, which has the advantage of producing fibers thinner than the flame and in greater numbers than the alpaca. At the junction of the vicuna is called llamovicuña. On the other hand, Peru has 18 million hectares of natural pastures Andean, which can serve as fodder for the flame and the other camels, who digested the pasture with 22% more efficient than sheep, this means that there is a better camelid raising business opportunity.

Benefits: Fiber: for making fabrics, which are called cloth, and used to make sacks, bags and other items of great durability, and harnesses for horses. It could also give rise to a modern agricultural industry for the manufacture of carpets and other items. Leather has excellent potential for fine leather goods, and this aspect should be studied and developed. Meat: to live on natural pastures, may have excellent potential as meat 'organic' special characteristics, its low cholesterol content.

Opportunities: Andean Trade Preference Agreement - ATPA, which allows entry of fine fibers camelid U.S. market free of tariffs.

South American camelids in Peru

In Peru there are two species of wild camelids, the vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) and guanaco (Lama guanicoe), and 2 forms domesticated the alpaca (Lama paco) and llama (Lama glama).

The camels play an important role in the highlands of Peru. At least 1.5 million farmers, more than 1,000 communities of Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, Junin, Lima and Puno, are dedicated to the management of vicuñas and raising llamas and alpacas.

classification of South American camelids

Now I want to talk something basic and interesting information about llamas and camelids in general, this is their classification:

We have their scientific names:

Common Name: Llama
Scientific Name: Lama glama

Common Name: Alpaca
Scientific Name: Lama Pacos

Common Name: Vicuña
Scientific Name: Vicugna Vicugna

Common Name: Guanaco
Scientific Name: Lama Guanicoe










This tells us that llamas, alpacas and guanacos are more closely related to them than vicuñas although all belong to the domestic South American camelids.

Introduction

Hi everyone! This blog wants to report an animal fasinante, much beloved and my beloved representative of Perú.

Despite being an animal flame which is very interesting for its beauty and for its fiber,highly prized and used for various traditional and modern clothing.








Not only do we focus on the flames, but in his prime as alpaca, vicuna and guanacolesser extent (most abundant animal in the Republic of Argentina), who also inhabit the territory of the Republic of Peru.


Any questions or suguerencia, this blog seeks to receive and to help people, naturalists,scientists who wish to contribute or clarify issues to others with less knowledge in this animal, but eager to learn.