Camelids (a short explanation of Cleopatra and Denial)

Question

![alt text][1]![alt text][1]These are pictures of alpacas, members of the camelid family. It is believed that camelids origininated in the southwestern US. There are fossil footprints near Albuquerque and Salt Lake City.Some time in the ancient past the camelid family took a long walk,some across the Bering Strait. The double humped camel, bactrian, settled in Mongolia. There are still bactrian camels in the wild that have survived nuclear testing.The dromedary is the single humped beast of burden we link to the deserts of Africa.

Then there is the branch that walked south.Guanacos and vicuñas are the progenitors of llamas and alpacas respectively.LLamas and alpacas have always been domesticated animals. The Incas are thought to have bred them into existance from guanacos and vicuñas.Llamas are the beasts of burden and alpacas always just stood around and looked good. The down side of that is they can catch the eye of a hungry Quechua and end up on the dinner table.

They are a respected animal and seen to be gifted from Pachamama to sustain their existance in the Andes.The alpaca's fleece was used to make garments for royalty and if a peasant were found wearing a garment made of the fleece they could lose their life.Archeologists have found robes on mummies where the diameter of a fiber is about 12 microns.

As a tactic of imperialism the Conquistadors systematically exterminated alpacas when they invaded Peru. The only animals to survive were those that made it to areas of the altiplano to difficult to reach.There they interbred with llamas and the general quality of the animal was degraded.Breeders are trying to bring back the uniform fineness of alpaca fiber. There are some like the old days but very few.

The vicuña is a protected animal in Peru.They are the smallest camelid and have the finest fiber. There is an annual roundup where their fleece is harvested.

Cleopatra and Denial are both females.I am not sure if I will formally call Denial that, but it is a funny way to introduce them.

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Answer 1

They are lovely animals and I love how you have introduced them to us. Thank you for showing them to us.

• thanks for looking.They are like family - nizhoni1 Jun 28, 2010

Answer 2

Thanks for sharing all of this information Nizhoni. This is definitely something I do not know very much about. I may have seen two or three live alpacas in captivity at a zoo, but that is about it.

Muchas gracias.