Alpaca Info /Facts

This has been a long learning process for me.... Thought you would enjoy some of the "fun facts"!
member of the South American Camelid family
-Originated from the Andes Mountains which run thru Peru, Chile, Argentina
-First arrival of Alpacas into USA was in 1988
-Average lifespan is 15 to 20 years.
-Gestation is usually 11 months (but the babies-known as cria-are so cute!!)
Two types of Alpacas-
Huacaya (pronounced wahcaya) Has a dense fiber that grows perpendicular to the body.
Suri- has a more lustrous fiber that appears as dreadlocks. Suri’s account for 5% of the alpaca population.
-There are 24 distinct colors of alpacas,, from white, fawn, black, brown.
-In ancient Incan times, alpaca fiber was used to make clothes for the royalty and was known as “The Fiber of the Gods”.
It is as soft as cashmere, yet lighter in weight, stronger, and warmer than wool.
Alpaca fiber contains no lanolin, therefore hypoallergenic
Alpaca fiber is naturally fire retardant.
It is in high demand from hand spinners, knitters, and fiber artists for both the raw fleece and yarns.