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Definition: alpaca from The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide

The alpaca is related to the llama, and has been known since 200 BC. The main breeding centre is around Lake Titicaca on the borders of Peru and Bolivia. It is sheared every two years and may provide up to 5 kg/11 lb of fine wool.

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alpaca


alpaca

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(ălpăk'Ә), partially domesticated South American mammal, Lama pacos , of the camel family. Genetic studies show that it is a descendant of the vicuña . Although the flesh is sometimes used for food, the animal is bred chiefly for its long, lustrous wool, which varies from black, through shades of brown, to white. Flocks of alpaca are kept by indigenous people in the highlands of Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. They feed on grasses growing close to the snow line, and they require a pure water supply. The Incas had domesticated the alpaca and utilized its wool before the Spanish Conquest, but subsequently the alpaca and the llama were extensively hybridized, leading to a gradual reduction in the amount of high quality alpaca wool. Exporting of alpaca wool to Europe began after Sir Titus Salt discovered (1836) a way of manufacturing alpaca cloth. Breeding alpacas is a small but growing industry in the United States, Canada, and some other non-Andean nations. Alpacas are classified in the phylum…
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Full text Article alpaca

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(ălpăk'Ә), partially domesticated South American mammal, Lama pacos , of the camel family. Genetic studies show that it is a descendant of the vicuña . Although the flesh is sometimes used for food, the animal is bred chiefly for its long, lustrous wool, which varies from black, through shades of…
| 176 words
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Full text Article Alpaca

From Black's Veterinary Dictionary
A subspecies of SOUTH AMERICAN CAMELID now farmed in the UK and elsewhere for its fine wool; not reared for meat. Individuals can live for up to 20 years. There are two main types — the Suri (long fine fleece) and the Huaccaya (thick and more dense fibres). They are susceptible to infections already…
| 185 words
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Full text Article alpaca

From World of Art: The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Fashion and Fashion Designers
Wool of the alpaca, a member of the camel family native to the Andes mountain regions of South America. In 1836 Sir Titus Salt introduced alpaca cloth, which at that time was a blend of alpaca and silk. Cheaper than pure silk, alpaca had many of the lustrous qualities of the heavy types of silk…
| 137 words
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Full text Article alpaca

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
South American species ( Lama pacos ) in the camel family (Camelidae). The alpaca, guanaco , llama , and vicuña are closely related and are known collectively as lamoids. Domesticated several thousand years ago by Indians of the Andes Mountains, the alpaca has a slender body, a long neck and legs, a…
| 106 words
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Full text Article alpaca

From The American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language
alpaca Vicugna pacos Alamy AL Photo: Travelfile
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From The Macquarie Dictionary
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From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
alpaca
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Full text Article alpaca

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
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From Word Origins
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From Merriam-Webster's Collegiate(R) Dictionary
alpaca
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