Talk:Alpaca

Group Project

This article is under major revisions currently by a couple of students. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Stephh20 (talk • contribs) 00:10, 16 November 2017 (UTC)

Picture

Why is a picture of an aplaca's head more relevant to the background/history of alpacas than an alpaca statuette made by a civilization that dates from AD 100 to AD 800? Besides, the new picture it is being replaced by (of an alpaca's head) would be relevant anywhere, while a historical figurine is only relevent in the background section, no? Loggie (talk) 19:35, 9 May 2008 (UTC)

why is a llama picture the main picture for an alpaca page PixieFruitLeather (talk) 04:10, 22 June 2025 (UTC)

Opening paragraph

>>>It resembles a small llama in appearance.

NATIONAL ALPACA DAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH. THIS BEGAN IN 2012 BECAUSE OF THE DEDICATION OF EMILY,TRINIQE AND AMBER.Alpaca owners everywhere would appreciate your either deleting or elaborating upon this sentence. Facial differences, coat quality, tail location, and a myriad other differences make this statement by itself misleading/confusing.

128.193.70.138 (talk) 16:49, 9 August 2011 (UTC)dlneiman (talk) 06:15, 17 September 2008 (UTC)

Opening paragraph

>>>The alpaca (Lama pacos)...

There are names like fat booty cheek (and therefore the consistency of use of the species names of camelids) - This is not exclusive to the Alpaca page, but specifically affects the terminology used on the pages for Alpaca, LLama, Vicuña and Guanaco. There is a noted reference in the Background section that would suggest as of 2001, the alpaca genus classification changed from Lama pacos to Vicugna pacos, as per the Royal Society analysis and recommendations, which would be backed up by the citing of Linnaeus, 1758. Therefore, should the opening paragraph not reference Vicugna pacos, with other taxonomy being listed in a disambiguation section. Perhaps a clade diagram would help readers understand the current (as published on the page) relationships and therefore why certain terminology is being used.

Xyhfna (talk) 15:21, 18 September 2023 (UTC)

How Tall are they?

I couldn't find how tall alpacas typically stand at the shoulder. The article tells us they're smaller than llamas, but that's not very precise. This is a pretty basic omission. Does anyone know? —MiguelMunoz (talk) 19:20, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

According to The Complete Alpaca Book by Eric Hoffman et al, ISBN 0-9721242-1-7 "The weight range in alpacas should be between 105 and 185 pounds (47.5 and 82 kg) and the withers height should range between 32 and 39 inches (81 and 9 cm.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Electrum93 (talk • contribs) 17:15, 14 March 2009 (UTC)Electrum93 (talk) 17:20, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

"Similar to Wool"

I changed this sentence: "While similar to sheep’s wool in that it is a natural fiber..." Huh? Are there really some animals that grow artificial fibers? It seems the phrase was included to put a link to the natural fiber article, but I moved that link to the word "Natural" in the previous sentence. —MiguelMunoz (talk) 19:39, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

External Links

Please add the National Association, Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA) link: www.AlpacaInfo.com

Alpaca meat

The article claims (and reverences a BBC article which does NOT provide support) that trading in Alpaca meat is illegal in Peru. I was what was advertised as Alpacca in Cousco last week - see menu here - http://www.inkawall.com/cuscoperu-en/0213-meat.html Does anyone have any more accurate information? Tsh (talk) 21:13, 21 April 2010 (UTC)

Alpaca meat trading is NOT ilegal in Peru. As a matter of fact, it is offered in gourmet restaurants in Lima, Cuzco and elsewhere It is pretty tasty too. 00:38, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

Alpaca meat is sold at grocery stores, such as Wong http://www.flickr.com/photos/30415576@N04/2850325124/ 00:41, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

Anyone can buy alpaca meat in Peru. Here's a link http://www.alpaquel.com/ --Apneamd (talk) 19:45, 4 July 2016 (UTC)

Diet

Wait, why are they talking about chewing on stuff in they diet section? Shouldn't chewing on stuff be in the "behavioral" section? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.132.221.227 (talk) 18:28, 11 May 2010 (UTC)

Edit request from 142.165.58.91, 26 August 2010

{{subst:editsemiprotected}} Alpaca fibre comes in 22 natural colors, according to S. American standards.

142.165.58.91 (talk) 21:13, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. sonia♫ 22:32, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

Edit request from Nummertolv, 6 October 2010

{{edit semi-protected}} The closest relative to the Alpaca is the Guanaco, a wild, hoofed mammal of the camel family and a Lama guanicoe, found on arid plains in the Andes Mts. mostly in the southern part of Peru. It is about 3 1/2 ft (105 cm) high at the shoulder, with a long neck; it is brown on the back and sides, with light underparts and a dark face. Regarded by some authorities as the ancestor of the domestic llama and alpaca, the guanaco is not domesticated. Their fibre is finer as that of the alpaca, but not yet as fine of is closest relative, the Vicuna. Nummertolv (talk) 11:16, 6 October 2010 (UTC)

Not done: please be more specific about what needs to be changed...the Edit Request Template states:

This template may only be used when followed by a specific description of the request, that is, specific text that should be removed and a verbatim copy of the text that should replace it. "Please change X" is not acceptable and will be rejected; the request must be of the form "please change X to Y". Shearonink (talk) 16:05, 6 October 2010 (UTC)

The assertion that the "closest relative to the Alpaca is the Guanaco" is not supported by the available evidence - see Alpaca#History of the scientific name. If you wish to add assertions like this to the article, you should cite references that plausibly support the argument - opinion alone is not enough. Frankly, I don't think such references exist. Andreclos (talk) 01:57, 9 October 2010 (UTC)

Edit request from PhilBennetts, 25 October 2010

{{edit semi-protected}}

Extended content

Breeding Coloured Alpacas The common goals most breeders of this fantastic animal share, is to breed an alpaca that is fit for function and carries as much fine fibre as possible. Breeding for black is no exception. However, we still know little about breeding up the quality of a coloured alpaca that has, until very recently, rarely been selectively bred.

I feel that in order to visualise where we are going with black alpacas, we need to look back and explore the history of coloured alpacas in the UK. I think then we will be able to understand where the coloured stock has come from and why they are the quality they are.

In the early 1990’s two large imports arrived in the UK from Chile. These imports contained a significant number of black females and some black males. At the time of these importations, Chile had a population of approximately 200,000 alpacas, fairly evenly distributed in most colours. The lack of a large textile processing facility in Chile meant that Chilean alpaca owners were not been able to sell their fibre for a significant sum and therefore there was no incentive to selectively breed up and improve the productivity and predictability of their alpacas. This meant that nearly all alpacas in Chile had been used by family groups for fibre, hide, fuel and meat. Even today it is common to see a family herd of alpacas, ranging in all colours, running alongside and sometimes breeding with llamas. It was only when a shipment of alpacas left Chile bound for Australia and the USA that some of the Chilean breeders recognised an opportunity to begin breeding up the quality of their alpacas in order to entice the ‘Gringos’ to buy their stock. In fact over the last ten years we have seen an increase in the quality of alpacas both in family groups and in cooperatives in Chile as a result a little more predictability has come in to their stock.

The alpacas that formed the basis of the black population here in the UK were very variable in style and quality. Some alpacas were black with white faces, some had white socks. The fleece characteristics also varied, some were approaching 40 microns with a 13cm staple and cut 3kg of fleece, others were as fine as 20 microns with a 5cm staple and cut 0.5kg of fleece.

The introduction of screening by the BAS meant that finer fleeced animals were selected and imported and this has continued through to the present day. However, it was not until the early to mid noughties that we saw imports arrive from Peru, Australia and the United States. These alpacas were selected with more knowledge and from breeders who were focusing on breeding black stock with a combination of strong frames and finer denser fleeces.

When I came to England in 2002 I was presented with a national herd of black alpacas that was predominately Chilean coupled with a small number of sires from more developed alpaca industries. It was the starting point on which to begin breeding black alpacas with the aim of improving quality in the same way that the Peruvians, Australians and Americans had done with white and fawn alpacas. It was a massive challenge. We were starting 15 years behind the white and fawn breeders and there was a lot of catching up to do!

The first objective I set for my herd of black alpacas was to address and correct the lack of colour predictability. It is extremely common to see black females running around the paddock with a brown or fawn cria at foot (Fig 1). Alpacas The reasons for this are that unlike the whites and fawns the foundation stock that we have here in the UK has not been bred to the same colour for enough generations in order to fix the colour genetically.

My breeding program is set so that I only cover black females with black males. Some people might say that using this breeding strategy it will take longer to breed the quality into the black stock. I have to agree but I think that the resulting black herd will be more predictable in the colour of its progeny and the fleeces produced will be less likely to have colour contamination. We are extremely lucky as a few elite black sires rivalling any in the world for quality are now available for black breeders in the UK. By using these sires we not only are improving the quality of our blacks but also the colour at a genetic level.File:Http://www.smallholder-agriculture.co.uk/banners/articles/timhayes/FIG-1-Web.jpg

The second goal I set for Inca was to improve and set good conformation in my herd. By collating and analysing data of all conformational traits I could then begin to breed selectively. This would enable me to breed out undesirable traits and breed in good conformational characteristics.

I found that the following traits had relatively high heritability values:

- Head type

- Leg angulation

- Jaw Alignment

- Proportion

- Bone weight

- Fertility

Identifying these traits helped me to understand first hand just how important it was to choose a herd sire that was 100% correct in its conformation and style in order to maximise the health and value of the herd. I found that it was nonviable to sacrifice conformation for improved fleece traits. Initially I used a sire that had a fine fleece, with a medium weight frame. The alternative at the time was a sire with a heavy frame, good fibre coverage but a very coarse fleece. This is the trend that seems to be similar the world over.

Historically black alpacas have basically come in two models:

Type 1: Heavy frame well covered in fleece which is coarse but grows a good staple length.

(Fig 2) File:Http://www.smallholder-agriculture.co.uk/banners/articles/timhayes/FIG-2-Web.jpg

Or

Type 2: Light frame, poorly covered in a fleece which is fine but that only grows a short staple length.

(Fig 3) File:Http://www.smallholder-agriculture.co.uk/banners/articles/timhayes/FIG-3-Web.jpg

There are, however, exceptions but they are very rare!

I guess that these two types of black alpacas have descended in this form from the vicuna and the guanaco. All I knew was that somehow I had to combine these two types and breed an alpaca that not only had a heavy frame that I could hang a heavy fleece on but would also grow a fine fleece with high density and length.

So what fleece traits did I see in these two types of alpacas?

Type 1: (Fig 4)

- High brightness

- Long staple length

- Poor to average handle

- Frequent colour contamination (white fibre)

- Low to medium density [] Type 2: (Fig 5)

- Low to average brightness

- Short to medium staple length

- Good to excellent handle

- Low level of colour contamination (white fibre)

- Low to medium density [] The third goal I set for the herd was to begin to understand how fleece traits were inherited and expressed in the alpacas I was breeding. I set out the following fibre traits that I felt were of great importance for my herd:

Overall fineness

Density (the use of skin biopsy analysis is a useful tool for assessing density)

Staple length

Colour

Brightness

Fine primary fibre - reducing guard hair

Uniformity

When I started in alpacas we were all told that in order to breed up the quality of the alpaca we needed to select a herd sire that would improve the traits that our alpacas were lacking. For example if I had a female with a light frame, poor fibre coverage, low density but fine fleece, the advice was to mate her to a sire that had a heavy well covered frame with higher density, even if the male had a coarse fleece. The idea behind this theory was to breed the desirable traits into the female one or two at a time. This was the way that many people in Australia bred their alpacas and they found that it did improve the next generation. At the same time, however, they discovered that they also introduced huge genetic diversity into their herds making the quality of progeny very difficult to predict.

Breeders using this method struggled to improve the productivity and quality in their herds.

I was lucky enough not to adapt this breeding system for my herd of blacks. Instead I decided to find a herd sire that was as close to my perfect black alpaca as possible and use this male over every black female that I owned. I have continued to use this policy for the last five generations. My thinking has lead me to believe that if I keep using sires that are very similar in conformation and fleece type each year then after 5 generations I should have a herd of females that mirror the five herd sires that have made them.

One of the most valuable pieces of advice I feel I can give to new alpaca breeders is to identify the sire that best represents their ideal alpaca and as long as it has proven to pass on the quality to its progeny use it over as many of their females as possible. Even if the service fee is high and you have to drive many miles to get a stud service the rewards you will receive from using top herd sires will make it all worthwhile. A wise breeder of stud stock once told me that ‘the best is always cheap’.

Some people may ask ‘well what if the male I like has no progeny on the ground’? My answer to this question is to ascertain whether or not the sire in question has parents that are similar in style (conformation and fleece characteristics). I have nearly always found that if a young sire has parents that are of the same quality and type, then the young male usually produces uniform progeny of similar quality. If the sire that you are looking for has no progeny or the parents cannot be viewed then my advice is to wait until the sire has cria on the ground so that they can be assessed and use a current proven sire in the meantime. This method will give you as breeders the lowest risk of producing low value progeny.

I feel very privileged and proud to be part of an industry that allows me to improve a breed through the actions and decisions Tracey and I make. Breeding black alpacas is not easy and there are many disappointing moments, particularly when a fawn head is showing at birthing! However, when a black cria arrives and then grows into a fabulous weanling, all the sacrifices that have been made in order to provide correct nutrition and husbandry coupled together with well thought out breeding decisions are truly worth it.

(Fig 6) Herd Sires selected at Inca http://www.smallholder-agriculture.co.uk/banners/articles/timhayes/FIG-6b-Web.jpg http://www.smallholder-agriculture.co.uk/banners/articles/timhayes/FIG-6a-Web.jpg http://www.smallholder-agriculture.co.uk/banners/articles/timhayes/FIG-6c-Web.jpg

Supplied by the Alpaca Directory Alpaca Directory Article Written by Tim Hey Inca Alpaca

PhilBennetts (talk) 10:26, 25 October 2010 (UTC)

This post looks more suitable for an Alpaca breeders discussion forum than Wikipedia. Andreclos (talk) 11:33, 25 October 2010 (UTC)

Not done: As above. It more suited as an essay than an encyclopedia article. Thanks, Stickee (talk) 12:43, 25 October 2010 (UTC)

Alpaca are not slaughtered for their fiber

Alpaca are sheered periodically not "slaughtered for their fiber" as the article describes —Preceding unsigned comment added by Apneamd (talk • contribs) 00:43, 25 November 2010 (UTC)

Quite right, corrected. Andreclos (talk) 03:06, 27 November 2010 (UTC)

Hi: In general, the comment is quite true. Alpacas are much less likely to want human contact than llamas. However, with special training (see for example, http://www.owning-alpaca.com/alpaca-training.html) they can be trained to tolerate handling. In extremis, alpaca males excessively handled as cria can imprint on humans to the point of becoming 'berserk males' as adults.

128.193.70.138 (talk) 16:54, 9 August 2011 (UTC)dlneiman

Edit request from Anuj.Kumar.Aggarwal, 22 May 2011

I would like to add information to the Alpaca page about its use as a Mascot by the World Scholar's Cup: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Scholar%27s_Cup I believe it is relevant and possibly useful to some.

Information about use as a mascot: The World Scholar's Cup (<--hyperlink) currently uses an Alpaca as a mascot to its competition. The Alpaca is shown on every resource guide and logo distributed by the World Scholar's Cup. The Alpaca was chosen as a mascot during a vote amongst students, where the alpaca won by majority.

I hope you put this edit into the alpaca page as once again, I believe it is relevant and useful

Thank You Anuj.Kumar.Aggarwal (talk) 11:29, 22 May 2011 (UTC)

✗ Not done Addition is of unclear significance and is unreferenced. Feezo (send a signal | watch the sky) 13:33, 22 May 2011 (UTC)

Edit request on 14 February 2012

Please add the following basic information (metric conversions mine), probably in second paragraph in introduction, requested by others previously: Adult alpacas are about 36" (91cm) tall at the withers and generally weigh between 100 and 200 pounds (45-90kg). Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association, Inc. http://www.alpacainfo.com/about/index.asp

From the same source: The lifespan of the alpaca is about 20 years.

Thanks for considering. Emergentleman (talk) 14:20, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

Not done: Please read WP:COPYVIO. Thanks, Celestra (talk) 16:12, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

The idea that adding this information would be a copyright violation is ridiculous. Just don't copy the exact wording. DONE! --Aflafla1 (talk) 19:59, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

Edit request: fix "cm" punctuation

In the first section, the following phrase appears: "between 81 and 99 cm. in height" This should be corrected to "between 81 and 99 cm in height" (since "cm" does not take a period, similar to "kg"). comment added by 9.31.77.205 (talk) 11:34, 18 March 2012‎ (UTC)

Done, thanks for noticing. Andreclos (talk) 00:02, 5 May 2012 (UTC)

Wild Alpacas

In the "diet" section it states that wild alpacas obtain there food... but there are no wild alpacas know so how is this possible? Just though this might need thinking through again Aeshaynes (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 19:14, 4 May 2012 (UTC).

Alpaca fiber water-repellent?

The article says about alpaca fiber: "Without lanolin, it does not repel water." The article on Alpaca Fiber says: "Alpaca is naturally water-repellent and difficult to ignite." Who is correct?

85.178.30.239 (talk) 12:12, 15 July 2012 (UTC) Fernando

Uma alpaca (Vicugna pacos) é uma espécie domesticada Sul-Americana de camelídeos. Assemelha-se a uma lhama pequena na aparência.

Alpacas são mantidos em rebanhos que pastam nas alturas nível dos Andes do sul do Peru, Bolívia norte, Equador e norte do Chile, a uma altitude de 3.500 m (11.500 pés) e 5.000 m (16.000 pés) acima do nível do mar, ao longo do ano [1]. Alpacas são consideravelmente menores que as lhamas, e ao contrário de lhamas, eles não foram criados para ser animais de carga, mas foram criados especificamente para a sua fibra. Fibra de alpaca é usado para fazer itens de malha e tecido, semelhante a lã. Esses itens incluem cobertores, blusas, chapéus, luvas, cachecóis, uma grande variedade de tecidos e ponchos na América do Sul, e blusas, meias, casacos e roupas de cama em outras partes do mundo. A fibra entra em mais de 52 cores naturais como classificados no Peru, 12 como classificado na Austrália e 16 classificados como nos Estados Unidos [2].

Na indústria têxtil, "alpaca" refere-se principalmente ao cabelo de alpacas do Peru, mas de forma mais ampla que refere-se a um estilo de tecido originalmente feitas de cabelo de alpaca, mas agora muitas vezes feitas de fibras semelhantes, tais como mohair, lã de ovelha islandesa, ou mesmo lã de alta qualidade Inglês. [carece de fontes?] No comércio, as distinções são feitas entre alpacas e os vários estilos de mohair e brilho.

Uma alpaca adulto geralmente é entre 81 e 99 cm de altura na cernelha. Eles geralmente pesam entre 48 e 84 kg (106 e 185 libras) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 187.75.26.182 (talk) 12:23, 6 September 2012 (UTC)

National Alpaca day

september 20th. -Emily.trinique.amber. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Alpacasaresexy (talk • contribs) 04:26, 20 September 2012 (UTC)

Dated Info about alpaca smuggling

The following text appears in the Background section:

Because of the high price commanded by alpaca on the growing North American alpaca market, illegal alpaca smuggling has become a growing problem.

The cite is from 2005 and the speculative high prices have come down a lot since them. I'm wondering if this statement is relevant today or if the text should be edited to reflect that it was a problem a few years ago. --71.38.170.27 (talk) 23:46, 11 November 2012 (UTC)

Problem is it's hard to get market information. When prices are high there are a flood of press articles trumpeting what a good investment alpacas are; when prices slump they all go silent, and we can't quote silence. Andreclos (talk) 22:28, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

Edit request on 6 March 2013

Please add the following link to the Ensembl Genome browser to the 'External links' section:

• View the alpaca genome in Ensembl

193.62.194.245 (talk) 12:17, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

Normally I am very hesitant to add new external links to an article but I think this is better than some of the ELs already on the article. If no one objects within 24 hours of your request I will go ahead and add it. —KuyaBriBri^Talk 14:58, 6 March 2013 (UTC)

Done. Appears non-controversial, added.  — daranz [ t ] 22:18, 8 March 2013 (UTC)

Are Alpacas dangerous?

It is predicted by many scientists that one day alpacas and llamas will band together and take part in world domination. These fluffy creatures will all turn on man and create a slaughter so horrible and so memorable that it'll change the world as it is known today. The Alpacas could be very dangerous and kill all the humans. We must keep them in control, our entire existence hangs in the balance! Beware of the Alpacalypse!!!!!!

Vanessa Cobalt ~ 2012 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.160.190.251 (talk) 03:36, 2 April 2013 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 August 2014

big dick

Waffltron (talk) 21:41, 24 August 2014 (UTC)

Not done: Not sure if this is a request to add that Alpacas have large penises or just inane vandalism. Either way no action Cannolis (talk) 23:54, 24 August 2014 (UTC)

can we delete the free advertising

about the harvard student selling jerky in China? Isn't that just advertising his company? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.72.74.168 (talk) 02:29, 8 January 2015 (UTC)

I have reworded the section emphasising why this might be notable, but other editors may wish to consider deletion.__DrChrissy (talk) 15:27, 8 January 2015 (UTC)

A suggestion

I think someone should add the fact that alpacas have no front teeth. In the 1st section. Unfortunately, the page is locked.
Where's a sysop when you need one? Entro3.14 (talk) 21:07, 19 May 2015 (UTC) I can add it if you provide the source - this would mean they are the same as sheep.DrChrissy ^(talk) 21:15, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

It is only semi-protected. You have a user:name so you can edit the article yourself.DrChrissy ^(talk) 21:18, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

      It was not a magazine or anything like that. It was a person who owns an alpaca farm that I visited.
      And I sure don't see an Edit button.Entro3.14 (talk) 21:29, 23 May 2015 (UTC)

Alpaca in the Knitting and Crocheting Community

Describe the benefits of alpaca wool and fiber in comparison with other wools. For example, though sheep wool is more widely known among non-knitters, alpaca wool is more highly prized and not as itchy or oily as sheep wool. Or something like this. Mejohnson19 (talk) 07:17, 25 October 2016 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 20 November 2016

Alpacas have been domesticated for thousands of years. The Moche people of northern Peru often used alpaca images in their art.[2] There are no known wild alpacas, and its closest living relative, the vicuña (also native to South America), are believed to be the wild ancestor of the alpaca.[3] The alpaca is larger than the vicuña, but smaller than the other camelid species.

PLEASE ADD THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH — Preceding unsigned comment added by Twoloom (talk • contribs) 02:37, 21 November 2016 (UTC) The alpaca were domesticated by the ancient Peruvians. The department of Puno in the area around Lake Titicaca is the acknowledged site of the alpaca's original domestication. Animals found in other areas, such as Chile and Ecuador are thought to have been artificially introduced by the Incan empire. Cite: Book; Title: Alpacas - Synthesis of a Miracle; Author: Mike Safley; Page: 18-19

Along with camels and llamas, alpacas are classified as camelids. Of the various camelid species, the alpaca and vicuña are the most valuable fiber-bearing animals: the alpaca because of the quality and quantity of its fiber, and the vicuña because of the softness, fineness and quality of its coat. Twoloom (talk) 20:01, 20 November 2016 (UTC)

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. - Mlpearc (open channel) 20:13, 20 November 2016 (UTC)

Fibre/fiber

I found that reading an article where the spelling of a word changes frequently was a bit confusing. Should we keep to one spelling?

Lokiquasa (talk) 22:10, 23 October 2017 (UTC) Lokiquasa (talk) 22:10, 23 October 2017 (UTC)

A lot of the English is fairly clunky. I guess a lot of editors here aren't native English speakers. Fibre/fiber is a WP:ENGVAR issue, and the article certainly shouldn't mix different English dialects, but really it needs a comprehensive copyedit. --Ef80 (talk) 17:32, 17 February 2019 (UTC)

Sourcing

Some of my students edited this page and I've noticed that there were a lot of sources that were from websites that looked to be run by small organizations or businesses. I'm not sure if these would be considered WP:SPS or unreliable, so I've tagged the page and some of the sources. Shalor (Wiki Ed) (talk) 20:47, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

I tried to fix some of that but kept getting reverted by a bot. Oh well, I certainly did try, but I'm not going to fight with a bot. Isaidnoway (talk) 04:29, 12 October 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 10 March 2019

Alpacas are sometimes referred to as "the best animal on the planet" by some people. 75.167.246.206 (talk) 05:01, 10 March 2019 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. DannyS712 (talk) 05:35, 10 March 2019 (UTC)

Lede

Why is the opening paragraph about the alpaca’s relationship to the llama? The lede should summarize the article and, in this case, describe what an alpaca is instead of what it isn’t. Morganfitzp (talk) 14:14, 12 April 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 23 April 2019

Add more information: Research in Alpacas: There are one project to support with verify information and the world's widest and most complete database in the world. The project is called Pacomarca Website. Peruvian007 (talk) 14:02, 23 April 2019 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. MrClog (talk) 20:31, 23 April 2019 (UTC)

Edit request 2019-05-27

Please italicize every instance of Lama guanicoe, Lama glama, Vicugna pacos, and Vicugna pacos.

Alpaca Walking

Alpaca walking is a new and exciting part of alpaca ownership. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Henstingalpacas (talk • contribs) 11:17, 27 September 2019 (UTC)

Domestication

Neither this article nor those on the two breeds of alpaca or indeed llama make it clear how domesticated they are. While much of the articles' content implies domestication, some of the language implies they are feral, if not wild, and there are no explicit statements of their status. The gist seems to be that alapacas and llamas are descended from domesticated vicunas, and that in some areas they exist as feral populations. Nowhere is there a clear statement; surely any article on a domesticated animal should make this clear in the opening section? Stub Mandrel (talk) 12:03, 2 October 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 14 January 2020

151.181.238.5 (talk) 17:21, 14 January 2020 (UTC)

1. REDIRECT [[]]{{{}}} It is not good and how old are you and you did not do good because alpaca are in 22 color and you did not do that 151.181.238.5 (talk) 17:21, 14 January 2020 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. – Thjarkur (talk) 17:30, 14 January 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 5 January 2021

Change: "The price for American alpacas ranged from US$50 for a castrated male (gelding) to US$500,000 for the highest in the world, depending on breeding history, sex, and color.[35]" to "The price for American alpacas ranged from US$50 for a castrated male (gelding) to US$675,000 (purchased in 2010 by Ernie & Barbara Kellogg of Double O Good Alpacas) for the highest in the world, depending on breeding history, sex, and color.[35][Source:https://www.pr.com/press-release/386055]" AlpacaManTX (talk) 04:44, 5 January 2021 (UTC)

 Partly done: Updated purchase amount and ref. Better sourcing than just a press release is preferred though. – robertsky (talk) 16:49, 15 January 2021 (UTC)

please add more information because I LOVE wiki

203.213.42.122 (talk) 08:12, 10 July 2021 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate.   melecie   t 09:33, 10 July 2021 (UTC)

Population section

There is surly something wrong with this sentence: "It currently has the largest population, with over half the world's animals.[30]" ...the source get you nowhere related to this. 151.242.212.41 (talk) 08:52, 1 March 2022 (UTC)

Alpacas 🦙

alpacas 72.39.72.7 (talk) 22:38, 30 April 2022 (UTC)

John Christopher Depp II and Alpacas

There should be a mention of Depp's connection to Alpacas.50.32.147.41 (talk) 04:00, 22 September 2022 (UTC)

https://ew.com/movies/johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial-alpacas-explained/ Very strange. Invasive Spices (talk) 22 September 2022 (UTC)

Zoocars

2 year old alpaca males. When coming into maturity, dominance behaviors are to be expected. This is the name for such a 2-year-old. My spelling is questionable. 72.241.168.209 (talk) 14:53, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 8 July 2023

Alpacas are usually confused with their decendents, llamas. They are both related to each other. 2600:1700:B401:4EE0:1919:78B2:A943:50F0 (talk) 00:07, 8 July 2023 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. The article already says that. RudolfRed (talk) 00:13, 8 July 2023 (UTC)

I think the OP was suggesting that the article should in some way be reworded to suggest that Alpacas are often confused with Llamas (although that would suggest that Llamas are more widely known than Alpacas, without any supporting evidence). IMHO this is a subjective statement, and the article lready endevours to indicate the relationship between the camelids of South America. 46.102.210.255 (talk) 15:08, 18 September 2023 (UTC)

Biological Classification of alpaca

In the "Taxon Identifiers" updated information about the scientific classification is cited, but the text of the article is inconsistent with the use of genus Vicuna and species pacos (Vicuna pacos). The article still has genus and species listed as Lama pacos. I am in the process of writing some information for an educational institution and wish to reference this article. Thank Yu 70.35.100.237 (talk) 22:21, 28 October 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 13 January 2024

Link "Alpaca" text with https://www.alpacaseeker.com/blog/ to help other people to learn more about alpacas. Nenadlazic997 (talk) 12:34, 13 January 2024 (UTC)

It might be a candidate for inclusion in "External links", but does it have a commercial motive? Seems to be limited to USA? Martinevans123 (talk) 13:29, 13 January 2024 (UTC)

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{Edit semi-protected}} template. HouseBlaster (talk · he/him) 04:22, 15 January 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 17 March 2024

Change “Genus: Lama” to “Genus: Vicugna”

Change “Species: L. pacos” to “Species: Vicugna pacos”

Resources: http://blogs.evergreen.edu/ebestiary/blog/2012/05/31/alpaca/

https://alpaca.net/what-is-an-alpaca#:~:text=An%20alpaca%20is%20a%20member,part%20of%20the%20camelid%20family. 24.153.49.168 (talk) 13:07, 17 March 2024 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. The Herald (Benison) (talk) 02:52, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 18 December 2024

176.37.226.218 (talk) 08:39, 18 December 2024 (UTC)Genus and species are shown incorrectly. PLease change it to Vicugna and Vicugna pacos accordingly. Please change the Binomial name to Vicugna pacos. Because in 2001, the alpaca genus classification changed from Lama pacos to Vicugna pacos, following the presentation of a paper on work by Miranda Kadwell et al. on alpaca DNA to the Royal Society showing the alpaca is descended from the vicuña, not the guanaco.

176.37.226.218 (talk) 08:39, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. M.Bitton (talk) 11:47, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

Genus and Species shown incorrectly. Edit request

Both in the introduction and the side bar the Genus and Species names are shown incorrectly. Currently it states: Genus: Lama; Species: Lama Pacos. This should be changed to Genus: Vicugna; Species: Vicugna Pacos.

Sources:

Kadwell, Miranda; Matilde Fernandez; Helen F. Stanley; Ricardo Baldi; Jane C. Wheeler; Raul Rosadio; Michael W. Bruford (December 2001). "Genetic analysis reveals the wild ancestors of the llama and the alpaca". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 268 (1485): 2575–2584. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1774. PMC 1088918. PMID 11749713. 0962-8452 (Paper) 1471–2954 (Online).

Entry in Integrated Taxonomic Information System shows Vicugna Pacos as valid and Lama Pacos as invalid:

https://itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=898279#null Borges-filipe (talk) 11:09, 5 March 2025 (UTC)

Denied See synonyms list in taxobox, and list of refs in taxonbar. - UtherSRG (talk) 13:30, 5 March 2025 (UTC)

Although the refs are present in the taxonbar, I agree with user @Borges-filipe in changing the main displayed name to Vicugna pacos, instead of Lama pacos; the main databases seem to prefer assigning alpacas to the genus Vicugna as shown in the Catalogue of Life:Catalogue of Life Defaulon (talk) 18:11, 29 April 2026 (UTC)

We try to align our mammal taxonomy with that of ASM's MDD, unless there's a overwhelming need to go against that grain. I don't see this to be the case here. - UtherSRG (talk) 21:29, 29 April 2026 (UTC)

The main image is a llama

not an alpaca PixieFruitLeather (talk) 04:04, 22 June 2025 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 25 June 2025

Change main image to an alpaca. Current image is a llama. 2601:645:A01:D000:4C37:5FA1:CF5D:B148 (talk) 04:40, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

What makes you say that? It certainly looks like an alpaca to me. Day Creature (talk) 05:48, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

As Day Creature said above. Picture's file name says it's an alpaca, and it does seem to look like one. Closing edit request. SI09 (talk) 06:32, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

The picture source incorrectly labeled a llama photo as an alpaca. Here is the difference: https://cottoncreekfarms.com/alpacas-vs-llamas/?srsltid=AfmBOoqZ-00_6lPg-qal-ufURqrWhF2qakvyHfWVrcNnRRfNd8ZcYQGQ 2601:645:A01:D000:503B:459:31EC:FE44 (talk) 21:43, 22 July 2025 (UTC)

Ruminants vs. pseudo-ruminants

My understanding is Alpacas and Llamas are Pseudo-ruminants (not ruminants like cows, sheep and goats) but this article states they are not any of these which (I believe) is incorrect. May want to double check that. Thanks!

Steve ~2025-31433-84 (talk) 14:19, 5 November 2025 (UTC)