Sunday, June 15, 2014

Alpacas


An alpaca is a tamed species of South American camelid (even toed types of animals like the camel). They live in places like southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador and northern Chile. An alpaca mainly resembles a small llama.  There are two breeds of alpacas, Suri and the Huacaya. Surian alpacas look more like llamas while the Huacayan alpacas are more like sheep (fluffy). Most alpacas do not like being grabbed. Some alpacas tolerate being stroked or petted anywhere on their bodies, although many do not like their feet, lower legs, and especially their abdomen touched or handled. Alpacas make a variety of sounds. When they are in danger, they make a high-pitched, shrieking whine. Some breeds are known to make a "wark" noise when excited. Strange dogs – and even cats – can trigger this reaction. To signal friendly or submissive behavior, alpacas "cluck," or "click". Individuals vary, but most alpacas generally make a humming sound. Hums are often comfort noises, letting the other alpacas know they are present and content. The humming can take on many inflections and meanings. When males fight, they scream a warbling, bird-like cry, presumably intended to terrify the opponent. Alpacas require much less food than most animals of their size. They generally eat hay or grasses, but can eat some other plants (e.g. some leaves), and will normally try to chew on almost anything (e.g. empty bottle).
Alpacas are not widely known in France, but they are very popular in Japan. Right now, there is a trend in Japan called "Alpacasso" or "Alpakasso" depending on the brand. They are adorable but they cost a lot of money, though in eBay, they sell it at a cheaper price. Most people also like drawing alpacas, but they usually don't follow biological appearances. Here is an example:



6 comments:

  1. I never saw animals like that before

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    1. They are bit ( and connected to ) llamas.

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  2. What a lot of noises they make! I wonder what the humming sounds like?

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  3. I never heard of that animal before

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  4. Alpacas are SOOOOOOO Cute! ʢ• ͡•ʢ• ͡•ʢ• ͡•ʡʢ• ͡•ʢ• ͡•ʢ• ͡•ʡʢ

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    1. Thank you Pablo! 。◕‿◕。

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