﻿Field and Forest 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL 



DEVOTED TO THE NATURAL SCIENCES. 



Vol. II.— DECEMBER, 1876.— No. 6. 



The Alpaca in North America. 



The Alpaca, Llama pacos of Cuvier, Auchenia alpaca of Illiger, is a 

 species of a South American genus inhabiting the Andes, at elevations 

 of 8,000 to 12,000 feet, from Peru southward. It is held by naturalists 

 to be allied to the Camel, having many points of resemblance to that 

 animal ; and the larger species, the Llama, is actually used in carrying 

 burdens of about 100 pounds weight, over rough and declivitous routes, 

 at the rate of 10 to 15 miles per day. The head is camel-like, there 

 is an accretion of fat instead of an actual hump on the back, and the 

 feet are adapted to mountain travel rather than traversing desert sands, 

 and they have callosities on the knees of the fore legs from their camel- 

 like habit of kneeling for burdens. The wild Guanaco (A. huanaco) 

 is generally deemed identical with the domesticated Llama, though 

 some authorities have made it a distinct species. The Alpaca is 

 smaller, and the Vicuna the smallest of this genus, about 30 inches to 

 the shoulder, the larger species being about 3 feet at the shoulder, the 

 head being carried about two feet higher. 



The Alpaca is a domesticated species useful for its fleece especially, 

 which is very fine and long, and for its flesh. Its period of gestation 

 is 11 to X2 months, the young are weaned at six months, and are suffi- 

 ciently mature for reproduction at two years. 



Attempts have been made, during the past thirty years, to introduce 

 them into this country, Europe and Australia. In 1844 the British Con- 

 sul at Arica, Peru, sent sixteen to Queen Victoria. It aroused oppo- 

 sition to their exportation, and caused the enactment of more stringent 



