Catalina Yarns - About Alpacas

ABOUT ALPACAS
Alpacas are members of the Camelidae family which originated on the plains of North America 10 million years ago and have been present in South America for the last 2.5 million years. Other well known members of this family include the Bactrian and Dromedary camels of Asia and Africa and the Llama, Guanaco and Vicuna of South America. Alpacas and Llamas were domesticated by pre-Incan society approximately 6000-7,500 years ago. Llamas were bred for use as pack animals and the alpaca for it's fiber as well as a source of protein.

Alpaca occur in two varieties, the Huicaya and the Suri. Both Huicaya and Suri can sire offspring of either type. The Huicaya has a denser, more crimped and finer wool. The Suri has a longer, smoother wave-like wool (below). The Suri and Huicaya have the same genotype but express different phenotypic characteristics. The different attributes were selected through careful breeding by the Incas over thousands of years.

Eighty percent of the world alpaca population resides in Peru with the remainder located in Bolivia and Chile. Small populations exist in other countries including the UK, New Zealand and the United States.

There are between 40-50 thousand alpacas in the United States. This herd will grow slowly because of Peruvian import restrictions on pure-bred lines and because alpacas produce only one offspring per season with fairly high rates of cria (i.e., infant) mortality.

Alpaca are about the size of a large dog and have a pleasant disposition. They weigh anywhere from 100 to 160 pounds and the entire body is covered in hair except for the face. Alpaca communicate by a humming sound, leading the animal to sometimes be referred to as the "humming sheep."

In Peru, more than 3/4 of the alpaca herd are raised by indigenous rural populations, primarily Quechua Indians located in the Peruvian highlands. Alpaca are seasonally grazed in the Peruvian Puna, a high altitude grassland that receives moisture from lingering fog generated by winds from the Pacific Ocean moving inland against the Andes.

Alpaca are sheared once a year in the spring and produce up to 10 pounds of wool per animal. The seasons are reversed south of the equator so when it's winter there, it's spring and summer in North America. Thus, alpaca fiber becomes scarcer and more difficult to acquire in the US during our Summer.

Once sheared, the wool is shipped to Arequipa, Peru, the alpaca capital of the world and where all the major processing mills in Peru are located. Known as the White City because of the use of the white volcanic stone, silar, used to build many of the buildings. This colonial city sits in the foothills of three volcanoes including the majestic El Misti.

Relatives of the Alpaca and Llama

While there is still some debate among scientists, it is widely thought that the alpaca is a descendant of the wild vicuna. Native to the Andes, the vicuna produces the finest and rarest natural fiber in the world. On the verge of extinction in the 1970's, conservation efforts have helped population levels rebound enough that vicuna fiber is now available commercially. The rarity and quality of the fiber results in high prices with scarves retailing for $800-$900 and shawls for as much as $2,500.

The larger guanaco is considered to be the wild ancestor of the domestic llama and is similar in appearance. Most herds of this animal are limited to Patagonia and is practically extinct in Peru. Both the guanaco and the vicuna have brown top coats and white lining of the face and belly. The Guanaco has a coarse overcoat but a finer undercoat that produces fiber finer than commercial alpaca. Vicuna cannot be raised in captivity and must be herded from the wild seasonally for shearing. There has been some success in maintaining herds of Guanaco including in the US.

Alpaca Fiber

Alpaca occur in 22 different shades and have the largest color variation of any fur bearing mammal in the world. Alpaca fiber is a hair rather than a wool though the fiber is classified as wool for commercial and import purposes. The fact that alpaca is not a true wool means there is no presence of lanolin or other oils that provoke allergic reactions in some people. This makes alpaca a natural hypoallergenic fiber. Most grades of alpaca are so fine that there is no prickle like that associated with most wools.

The longer the fiber the stronger the spun item. Alpaca is one of the longest fibers in the world. For this reason, garments made of alpaca are long lasting and resistant to piling (i.e., the shorter the fiber the more likely it will pill). Alpaca was very popular in England during the 19th century particularly for stylish overcoats (no Lord Titus here, it's all over the internet). Because of the durability and quality of these coats they have been passed down as family heirlooms and still look almost new.

More evidence of the durability of alpaca is the discovery of a frozen Incan mummy surrounded by gold trinkets and wearing ultra-fine alpaca garments. Referred to as the Lady of Ampato, "Juanita" or the Incan Ice Princess, she was sacrificed to the Incan gods at the age of 14. The garments she was buried with were in remarkable condition after 500 years of exposure to extreme temperatures at an altitude of over 20,000 feet. The diameter of the fiber used to make these garments was determined to be close to 14 microns, which today would be one of the finest fibers anywhere in the world including cashmere.

A Recent History of Alpaca Fiber

While still one the finest most luxurious fibers in the world, an obvious question is why is alpaca fiber less fine today than it was 500 years ago? There are two seminal events that are the likely cause of this. First, the Spanish conquest of the Incas resulted in the systematic destruction of Incan society. Alpaca were slaughtered and dispersed in favor of sheep by the Spanish. The remaining alpaca herds were displaced from the coastal grasslands to the harsher Andean highlands. The traditional role in Inca society for breeding superior lines of alpaca disappeared resulting in cross-breeding between the coarser haired Llama and alpaca thereby blurring the hereditary lines. This is one of the reasons scientists today have a difficult time tracing the ancestry of the alpaca and Llama directly to the Vicuna or the Guanaco.

More recently, social upheaval and land reform in the 1970's and 80's indirectly resulted in breeding practices that further denuded the genetic purity of the alpaca. Peasant populations began actively cross-breeding alpacas and llamas to increase the amount of wool produced. These cross-bred animals referred to as Wari, are fertile and can reproduce further increasing the likelihood of that the pure lines of the alpaca would be blurred.

This focus on quantity over quality has taken close to 20 years to reverse. The Alpaca Registry was created to track the 30 percent or so alpacas with pure lines and foster productive breeding practices. Today, the government of Peru and the major mills regard the alpaca as an important part of the national heritage of Peru and work together to invest in and safeguard the genetic purity of this living gift from the Incas.

"About Alpacas" copyright 2005, M. Shaun Koch, Catalina Yarns, Inc. All rights reserved. This article may not be reproduced in whole or in part without express permission from M. Shaun Koch. For more information see Terms of Use or contact us.

Terms of use: Our competition	ABOUT ALPACAS Alpacas are members of the Camelidae family which originated on the plains of North America 10 million years ago and have been present in South America for the last 2.5 million years. Other well known members of this family include the Bactrian and Dromedary camels of Asia and Africa and the Llama, Guanaco and Vicuna of South America. Alpacas and Llamas were domesticated by pre-Incan society approximately 6000-7,500 years ago. Llamas were bred for use as pack animals and the alpaca for it's fiber as well as a source of protein. Alpaca occur in two varieties, the Huicaya and the Suri. Both Huicaya and Suri can sire offspring of either type. The Huicaya has a denser, more crimped and finer wool. The Suri has a longer, smoother wave-like wool (below). The Suri and Huicaya have the same genotype but express different phenotypic characteristics. The different attributes were selected through careful breeding by the Incas over thousands of years. Eighty percent of the world alpaca population resides in Peru with the remainder located in Bolivia and Chile. Small populations exist in other countries including the UK, New Zealand and the United States. There are between 40-50 thousand alpacas in the United States. This herd will grow slowly because of Peruvian import restrictions on pure-bred lines and because alpacas produce only one offspring per season with fairly high rates of cria (i.e., infant) mortality. Alpaca are about the size of a large dog and have a pleasant disposition. They weigh anywhere from 100 to 160 pounds and the entire body is covered in hair except for the face. Alpaca communicate by a humming sound, leading the animal to sometimes be referred to as the "humming sheep." In Peru, more than 3/4 of the alpaca herd are raised by indigenous rural populations, primarily Quechua Indians located in the Peruvian highlands. Alpaca are seasonally grazed in the Peruvian Puna, a high altitude grassland that receives moisture from lingering fog generated by winds from the Pacific Ocean moving inland against the Andes. Alpaca are sheared once a year in the spring and produce up to 10 pounds of wool per animal. The seasons are reversed south of the equator so when it's winter there, it's spring and summer in North America. Thus, alpaca fiber becomes scarcer and more difficult to acquire in the US during our Summer. Once sheared, the wool is shipped to Arequipa, Peru, the alpaca capital of the world and where all the major processing mills in Peru are located. Known as the White City because of the use of the white volcanic stone, silar, used to build many of the buildings. This colonial city sits in the foothills of three volcanoes including the majestic El Misti. Relatives of the Alpaca and Llama While there is still some debate among scientists, it is widely thought that the alpaca is a descendant of the wild vicuna. Native to the Andes, the vicuna produces the finest and rarest natural fiber in the world. On the verge of extinction in the 1970's, conservation efforts have helped population levels rebound enough that vicuna fiber is now available commercially. The rarity and quality of the fiber results in high prices with scarves retailing for $800-$900 and shawls for as much as $2,500. The larger guanaco is considered to be the wild ancestor of the domestic llama and is similar in appearance. Most herds of this animal are limited to Patagonia and is practically extinct in Peru. Both the guanaco and the vicuna have brown top coats and white lining of the face and belly. The Guanaco has a coarse overcoat but a finer undercoat that produces fiber finer than commercial alpaca. Vicuna cannot be raised in captivity and must be herded from the wild seasonally for shearing. There has been some success in maintaining herds of Guanaco including in the US. Alpaca Fiber Alpaca occur in 22 different shades and have the largest color variation of any fur bearing mammal in the world. Alpaca fiber is a hair rather than a wool though the fiber is classified as wool for commercial and import purposes. The fact that alpaca is not a true wool means there is no presence of lanolin or other oils that provoke allergic reactions in some people. This makes alpaca a natural hypoallergenic fiber. Most grades of alpaca are so fine that there is no prickle like that associated with most wools. The longer the fiber the stronger the spun item. Alpaca is one of the longest fibers in the world. For this reason, garments made of alpaca are long lasting and resistant to piling (i.e., the shorter the fiber the more likely it will pill). Alpaca was very popular in England during the 19th century particularly for stylish overcoats (no Lord Titus here, it's all over the internet). Because of the durability and quality of these coats they have been passed down as family heirlooms and still look almost new. More evidence of the durability of alpaca is the discovery of a frozen Incan mummy surrounded by gold trinkets and wearing ultra-fine alpaca garments. Referred to as the Lady of Ampato, "Juanita" or the Incan Ice Princess, she was sacrificed to the Incan gods at the age of 14. The garments she was buried with were in remarkable condition after 500 years of exposure to extreme temperatures at an altitude of over 20,000 feet. The diameter of the fiber used to make these garments was determined to be close to 14 microns, which today would be one of the finest fibers anywhere in the world including cashmere. A Recent History of Alpaca Fiber While still one the finest most luxurious fibers in the world, an obvious question is why is alpaca fiber less fine today than it was 500 years ago? There are two seminal events that are the likely cause of this. First, the Spanish conquest of the Incas resulted in the systematic destruction of Incan society. Alpaca were slaughtered and dispersed in favor of sheep by the Spanish. The remaining alpaca herds were displaced from the coastal grasslands to the harsher Andean highlands. The traditional role in Inca society for breeding superior lines of alpaca disappeared resulting in cross-breeding between the coarser haired Llama and alpaca thereby blurring the hereditary lines. This is one of the reasons scientists today have a difficult time tracing the ancestry of the alpaca and Llama directly to the Vicuna or the Guanaco. More recently, social upheaval and land reform in the 1970's and 80's indirectly resulted in breeding practices that further denuded the genetic purity of the alpaca. Peasant populations began actively cross-breeding alpacas and llamas to increase the amount of wool produced. These cross-bred animals referred to as Wari, are fertile and can reproduce further increasing the likelihood of that the pure lines of the alpaca would be blurred. This focus on quantity over quality has taken close to 20 years to reverse. The Alpaca Registry was created to track the 30 percent or so alpacas with pure lines and foster productive breeding practices. Today, the government of Peru and the major mills regard the alpaca as an important part of the national heritage of Peru and work together to invest in and safeguard the genetic purity of this living gift from the Incas. "About Alpacas" copyright 2005, M. Shaun Koch, Catalina Yarns, Inc. All rights reserved. This article may not be reproduced in whole or in part without express permission from M. Shaun Koch. For more information see Terms of Use or contact us.