Visiting the zoo, in the corpus callosum (or camel) department, we can see an unusual living creature that looks like a llama. Who is it? Alpaca. What kind of animal is that? It can be found on the high mountain pastures of South America (in Peru). A rather large animal weighing up to 70 kg, with a slender body, an elegantly curved long neck and thick, fleece-like sheep, wool - all this is alpaca. What kind of creature is this? It belongs to the family Camelids and is a relative of the llama and a descendant of the vicuna. He has a calm, even meek disposition, he is afraid of people, but he is very curious.
Alpaca has amazing adaptability to harsh environmental conditions. It can live and reproduce in high mountain pastures, where the difference between night and day temperatures is 30 ° C, where there is a high intensity of sun exposure and dank cold winds. This is alpaca. What kind of animal, where and in what conditions it lives, we figured out. An interesting fact: it refers to agricultural, although it is mainly kept in a semi-wild state and is driven into a kind of stall only for a haircut. It is easy to guess that people have been bred by him (by the way, for more than six thousand years) because of wool. After all, its unique qualities give the alpaca the opportunity to survive in such awkward conditions.
What are the positive properties of wool?
- Light, thin, but durable, very thick, water-repellent.
- It does not have a “shape memory".
- The fibers are stiff, long, straight.
- The structure of the hair hair is such that its surface is smooth, in contrast to sheep’s, thanks to which alpaca clothes are so comfortable.
- May have more than 20 natural shades, does not need staining. This fleece is white, silver, light brown, chestnut, black and intermediate variations.
- Effectively isolates both from cold and from heat.
And one more thing: Alpaca wool is practically not covered with grease. What does it mean? This property explains why it is so light and non-allergic, does not roll and does not fall, and is little prone to pollution. Two types of alpaca that exist in nature differ in the nature of the coat. One of them is long, and the second is short and resembles plush. The younger the animal, the finer and softer its coat. Four categories of rune are distinguished by its thickness.
Yarn made from alpaca wool is expensive, but it can be understood. Its properties are unique, it surpasses the sheep in all respects, and the shearing is only 5 kg per year with one individual.
Unusual creation - alpaca. The photo that is presented here demonstrates the indescribable grace of these half-wild creatures.
Now there is no doubt that the list of agricultural socially useful animals is not limited to the list: a cow, a horse, a dog, chicken and others ... Next to a person there are successfully other types of living creatures - producers of various products, for example, animal alpaca. Yarn is produced from its wool, from which clothes are knitted manually or by machine. Also from the fleece it is possible to make blankets, carpets, home decor items.