---
title: "What the sources say about the Alpaca | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "58 claims from the Alpaca profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/alpaca/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Alpaca (*Vicugna pacos*)

> 58 claims from the Alpaca profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Alpaca](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/alpaca/)

## Alpaca. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/alpaca

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Grasses on sparse Andean mountainsides and valleys | In their native South America, domesticated herds feed on grasses from the mountainsides and valleys of the Andes. For thousands of years, alpacas have lived where grass grows sparsely |
| a strict grazer that needs much less food than most animals its size | Alpacas are strict grazers. ... they require much less food than most animals their size. |
| Not Evaluated | The alpaca is a small relative of the camel domesticated by Andean people for its wool. (note: GBIF's copy of the Red List returns NOT_EVALUATED for Vicugna pacos (Linnaeus, 1758), usage key 7515593, checked 2026-09-13. The Red List has no assessment for this domestic species. The vicuña's own 2018 assessment (10.2305/iucn.uk.2018-2.rlts.t22956a145360542.en) is a different species and does not apply.) |
| The Smallest Domestic Camelid | Alpacas are the smallest of the domesticated camelid species. |
| Alpacas are the smallest of the domesticated camelids | Alpacas are the smallest of the domesticated camelid species. |
| Adults usually weigh 45 to 90 kilograms and stand 0.8 to 1.1 meters at the shoulder | Adult alpacas usually range from 100 to 200 pounds (45 to 90 kilograms). ... their shoulder height is typically 32 to 40 inches (0.8 to 1.1 meters). |
| Andean people domesticated them as a source of fuel, meat, and fiber for fabric | Alpacas were fully domesticated by Andean people centuries before the Incas as a source of fuel, meat and fiber for fabric. |
| that fiber has a hair-like structure that is more resilient and much stronger than Merino sheep wool | Alpaca fiber has a cellular structure similar to hair and is more resilient and much stronger than Merino sheep wool. |
| Alpacas are strict grazers that have lived for thousands of years where grass grows sparsely | Alpacas are strict grazers. ... For thousands of years, alpacas have lived where grass grows sparsely |
| they need much less food than most animals their size | they require much less food than most animals their size. |
| each one needs at least one other alpaca to thrive | Alpacas need the companionship of at least one other alpaca to thrive. |
| They communicate with a soft hum, other calls, and body language | Alpacas express themselves with a soft hum, other vocalizations and body language |
| A threatened alpaca gives a staccato alarm call that alerts the herd | will alert the herd and their human keepers of perceived danger with a staccato alarm call. |
| They also spit at each other to register a complaint | Alpacas rarely spit at people unless frightened or abused, but will use this form of communication with each other to register a complaint. |
| They rarely spit at people unless frightened or abused | Alpacas rarely spit at people unless frightened or abused, but will use this form of communication with each other to register a complaint. |
| Alpaca fiber has a hair-like structure that is more resilient and much stronger than Merino sheep wool | Alpaca fiber has a cellular structure similar to hair and is more resilient and much stronger than Merino sheep wool. |
| the fleece is virtually free of guard hair | They are covered in a soft fleece that is virtually free of guard hair and occurs in a variety of colors. |
| It comes in about 22 basic natural colors, with many variations and blends. | Alpacas exhibit a variety of natural colors, with approximately 22 basic fiber colors and many variations and blends. |
| Spitting is a form of communication. | Alpacas rarely spit at people unless frightened or abused, but will use this form of communication with each other to register a complaint. |
| they use it with each other to register a complaint | Alpacas rarely spit at people unless frightened or abused, but will use this form of communication with each other to register a complaint. |
| The smallest domestic camelid | Alpacas are the smallest of the domesticated camelid species. |
| grows fiber much stronger than Merino wool | Alpaca fiber has a cellular structure similar to hair and is more resilient and much stronger than Merino sheep wool. |
| Alpacas are social herd animals whose only defense is flight | Alpacas are social herd animals, and their only defense is flight. (note: Current Smithsonian page. ADW's older, student-written account of hoof and spit defense against predators was cut from the body and FAQ 3 under the date rule: the current institution page wins.) |
| They feel safest in numbers | As they feel safest in numbers and have such strong herding instincts, it is best not to have just one alpaca. |
| for a herd animal that communicates with a soft hum | Alpacas express themselves with a soft hum, other vocalizations and body language (note: vibe.reason: the pairing now rests on the alpaca's hum, not on geography) |

## Lama pacos (alpaca). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lama_pacos/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The Andean altiplano and highlands from Peru to Argentina, at elevations from 1,000 to 4,800 meters | The native range of Lama pacos includes the central and southern Andes from Peru to Argentina ... Range elevation 1000 to 4800 m |
| plus cushion plants and a woody shrub | the alpaca diet was dominated by grasses such as Festuca nardifolia, Deschampsia caespitosa, and Agrostis tolucensis, cushion plants Oxychloe andina, bunch grasses Festuca orthophylla, and the woody shrub Parastrephia lucida. |
| Their native range runs through the central and southern Andes from Peru to Argentina at up to 4,800 meters | The native range of Lama pacos includes the central and southern Andes from Peru to Argentina at elevations of up to 4800 meters. |
| on the high plateau called the altiplano, where nights drop below freezing | Alpacas inhabit the Andean Altiplano, i.e. the Andean high plateau, preferably near wet areas. The climate of the Altiplano is severe, reaching temperatures of below 0°C during the night |
| In one Chilean highland study, their diet was dominated by grasses, cushion plants, and a woody shrub | In a highland region of Chile, Castellano et al. (2004) reported that the alpaca diet was dominated by grasses such as Festuca nardifolia, Deschampsia caespitosa, and Agrostis tolucensis, cushion plants Oxychloe andina, bunch grasses Festuca orthophylla, and the woody shrub Parastrephia lucida. |
| then either flees or goes to investigate | If the animal feels threatened, it will elicit an alarm call and either flee or go to investigate the source of danger. |
| a dominance stand-off between two alpacas may include spitting and pushing | A stand off posture is taken to show dominance. It is seen when two alpacas are standing extremely close to each other. ... This posture may be accompanied by spitting, pushing, and more aggressive behaviors. |
| Alpacas use communal dung piles, which may be a source of chemical communication among them | Alpacas use communal dung piles to deposit urine and feces. As has been argued for other South American camelids, these piles may be a source for chemical communication among alpacas. |
| Alpacas spit when they are in distress, fearful, or showing dominance | Alpacas engage in spitting when they are in distress, fearful, or to show dominance. |

## Vicugna pacos. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, 2023.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Vicugna_pacos

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In zoos they can live up to 25.8 years | These animals can live up to 25.8 years in zoos |

## Kadwell et al. (2001). Genetic analysis reveals the wild ancestors of the llama and the alpaca. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences.

https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2001.1774

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| For a long time, the alpaca's wild ancestor was disputed | The origins of South America's domestic alpaca and llama remain controversial due to hybridization, near extirpation during the Spanish conquest and difficulties in archaeological interpretation. |
| Its domestication has been dated to 6,000 to 7,000 years ago in the Peruvian Andes | Recent research has, however, linked the alpaca to the vicuña, dating domestication to 6000-7000 years before present in the Peruvian Andes. (note: Kadwell et al. report this date from earlier research ('Recent research has...'), so the page does not attribute it to their genetic evidence.) |
| hybridization, near extirpation during the Spanish conquest, and difficult archaeology left the record hard to read | The origins of South America's domestic alpaca and llama remain controversial due to hybridization, near extirpation during the Spanish conquest and difficulties in archaeological interpretation. |
| Tradition credited both the alpaca and the llama to the guanaco | Traditionally, the ancestry of both forms is attributed to the guanaco, while the vicuña is assumed never to have been domesticated. |
| In one genetic study, mitochondrial DNA placed about 80 percent of alpaca and llama samples in the guanaco lineage | MtDNA analysis places 80% of llama and alpaca sequences in the guanaco lineage, with those possessing vicuña mtDNA being nearly all alpaca or alpaca-vicuña hybrids. |
| alpacas are close to wild vicuñas and llamas to guanacos, with some hybridization in both directions | In contrast to the mtDNA, these markers show high genetic similarity between alpaca and vicuña, and between llama and guanaco, although bidirectional hybridization is also revealed. |
| Its authors proposed reclassifying the alpaca as *Vicugna pacos* | ...the alpaca is descended from the vicuña, and should be reclassified as Vicugna pacos. |
| Traditionally, the guanaco got the credit | Traditionally, the ancestry of both forms is attributed to the guanaco |
| in one genetic study about 80 percent of alpaca and llama mitochondrial DNA samples fell in the guanaco lineage | MtDNA analysis places 80% of llama and alpaca sequences in the guanaco lineage |
| alpacas are genetically close to wild vicuñas, while llamas are close to guanacos, with some hybridization in both directions | these markers show high genetic similarity between alpaca and vicuña, and between llama and guanaco, although bidirectional hybridization is also revealed. |
| Combining the markers, the study's authors suggested the alpaca is descended from the vicuña and should be reclassified as Vicugna pacos. | combined marker analysis on a subset of samples confirms the microsatellite interpretation and suggests that the alpaca is descended from the vicuña, and should be reclassified as Vicugna pacos. |

## Vicugna pacos (Linnaeus, 1758). Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=898279

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| the name taxonomists list today, with *Lama pacos* kept as a synonym | Vicugna pacos (Linnaeus, 1758) ... Synonym(s): Lama pacos (Linnaeus, 1758) ... Taxonomic Status: Current Standing: valid |

## Dittmann et al. (2014). Methane Emission by Camelids. PLoS ONE.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0094363

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Their foregut has three compartments: the first two form a fermentation chamber similar to a ruminant's rumen, and the third is a long tube that resembles a ruminant's abomasum, though these compartments are not direct counterparts of the ruminant ones | The camelid foregut can be separated into three compartments ... The first two compartments (C1 and C2) represent a fermentation chamber similar to the reticulorumen of ruminants. The last elongated tubular compartment (C3) shows similarities to the abomasum of ruminants ... Despite structural similarities with the ruminant foregut, the camelid compartments cannot be considered as direct homologues. (note: 'rumen' simplifies the source's 'reticulorumen' (the rumen and reticulum together) for the reader.) |
| Kept in respiration chambers, alpacas, llamas, and Bactrian camels produced about 0.32 liters of methane per kilogram of body weight each day, a little over half the published figure for domestic ruminants on roughage diets | we carried out respiration chamber measurements with three camelid species ( Vicugna pacos , Lama glama , Camelus bactrianus ; n = 16 in total) ... The camelids produced less methane expressed on the basis of body mass (0.32±0.11 L kg −1 d −1 ) when compared to literature data on domestic ruminants fed on roughage diets (0.58±0.16 L kg −1 d −1 ). (note: 0.32 / 0.58 = 0.55, hence 'a little over half'.) |
| Gram for gram of fiber digested, though, camelids release about as much methane as ruminants | there was no significant difference between the two suborders when methane emission was expressed on the basis of digestible neutral detergent fiber intake (92.7±33.9 L kg −1 in camelids vs. 86.2±12.1 L kg −1 in ruminants). |
| which suggests their gut microbes make it in similar ways | This implies that the pathways of methanogenesis forming part of the microbial digestion of fiber in the foregut are similar between the groups |
| The study explains the gap by camelids' generally lower food intake for their size | the lower methane emission of camelids can be explained by their generally lower relative food intake. |
| the most likely reason is a generally lower metabolism | The most likely explanation for the lower absolute CH 4 production in camelids, therefore, is their generally lower metabolism associated with lower nutrient requirements and thus a lower food intake per unit of body mass |

## Tu et al. (2020). Landscape of variable domain of heavy‐chain‐only antibody repertoire from alpaca. Immunology.

https://doi.org/10.1111/imm.13224

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| makes antibodies with no light chain | Heavy-chain-only antibodies (HCAbs), which are devoid of light chains, have been found naturally occurring in various species including camelids and cartilaginous fish. ... We cloned and sequenced the full-length coding region of VHHs in Alpaca (Vicugna pacos) via HTS in this study. |
| Antibodies with no light chain, whose heat-stable variable regions scientists use in diagnostics, bio-imaging, and treatments. | Heavy-chain-only antibodies (HCAbs), which are devoid of light chains, have been found naturally occurring in various species including camelids ... Because of their high thermostability, refoldability and capacity for cell permeation, the variable regions of the heavy chain of HCAbs (VHHs) have been widely used in diagnosis, bio-imaging, food safety and therapeutics. |
| Antibodies Missing a Chain | Heavy-chain-only antibodies (HCAbs), which are devoid of light chains, have been found naturally occurring in various species including camelids and cartilaginous fish. |
| Alpacas, like other camelids, make antibodies with no light chain | Heavy-chain-only antibodies (HCAbs), which are devoid of light chains, have been found naturally occurring in various species including camelids and cartilaginous fish. |
| The variable region of these heavy-chain-only antibodies is heat-stable and able to refold, and scientists widely use it in diagnostics, bio-imaging, food safety, and medical treatments | Because of their high thermostability, refoldability and capacity for cell permeation, the variable regions of the heavy chain of HCAbs (VHHs) have been widely used in diagnosis, bio-imaging, food safety and therapeutics. (note: The script's 'only' flag is the source's own term 'heavy-chain-only', not an added absolute.) |