A domestic camelid raised for its fiber in the Andean highlands. It lives in herds and has many coat colors.
The Huacaya breed has crimped fleece. The Suri breed has silkier, uncrimped hair that grows along the body.
A study of eight alpacas in a Czech herd followed a morning veterinary examination that included capture and restraint, health checks, vitamin A, and fecal sampling. Researchers used an infrared camera to record the inner corner of each eye remotely before handling and during restraint. Mean surface temperature rose from 36.35°C before handling to 37.56°C during the examination, a significant difference.
Salivary cortisol did not differ significantly before and after the examination. The authors suggest remote eye-temperature readings may help study short-term responses during routine care. The first saliva sample was taken after capture and restraint, and the authors note that sunlight, tears, dirt, and environmental conditions can affect eye temperature. They call for validation in larger, more diverse groups.
IUCN Red List field (as displayed by the ASM Mammal Diversity Database) · Not Evaluated (NE) · ASM MDD domesticated alpaca profile
The ASM Mammal Diversity Database lists the domesticated alpaca's global IUCN Red List field as Not Evaluated (NE).