Animals In South America

The Alpaca (Vicugna pacos) is a domesticated species of South American camelid. As you have already noticed, it looks like a small and miniature llama in superficial appearance. Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of Ecuador, southern Peru, northern Bolivia, and northern Chile at an altitude of 3500 to 5000 meters above sea-level, throughout the year. Alpacas are significantly smaller than their cousins - llamas, and moreover, alpacas are not used as beasts of burden but are valued only for their fiber. Alpaca fiber is used for making knitted and woven items, much as sheep's wool is. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles and ponchos in South America, and sweaters, socks, coats and bedding in other parts of the world. The fiber comes in more than 52 natural colors as classified in Peru, 12 as classified in Australia and 16 as classified in the United States. Alpacas and llamas differ in that alpacas have straight ears and llamas have banana-shaped ears. Aside from these differences, llamas are on average 1-2 feet taller and proportionally bigger than alpacas. In the textile industry, "alpaca" primarily refers to the hair of Peruvian alpacas, but more broadly it refers to a style of fabric originally made from alpaca hair but now often made from similar fibers, such as mohair, Icelandic sheep wool, or even high-quality English wool. In trade, distinctions are made between alpacas and some styles of mohair and luster.

If talking about the background of scientific name, given to these animals by native peoples, the four South American camelid species were assigned scientific names in the 18th and 19th centuries. At that time, the alpaca was assumed to be descended from the llama, ignoring similarities in size, fleece and dentition between the alpaca and the vicuna. Classification was complicated by the fact that all four species of South American camelid can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. It was not until the advent of DNA technology that a more accurate classification was possible. In 2001, the alpaca genus classification changed from Lama pacos to Vicugna pacos following the presentation of a paper on work by Dr Jane Wheeler et al on alpaca DNA to the Royal Society showing that the alpaca is descended from the vicuna, not the guanaco. The relationship between alpacas and vicunas was disputed for many years, but Wheeler's DNA work proved it. However, many academic sites have not caught up with this, so it is something well known to alpaca breeders who have read Hoffman's book, and to Royal Society members who have access to the current classification data, but not more widely known.

Alpacas have been domesticated for thousands of years. As a matter of fact, the Moche people of Northern Peru often used Alpaca images in their art. There are no wild alpacas. The closest living species are the wild Vicuna, also native to South America. As well as Camels and Llamas, the Alpaca are classified as Camelids. The Alpaca is larger than the Vicuna but smaller than the other Camelid species. Of the various Camelid species, the Alpaca and Vicuna are the most valuable fiber-bearing animals: the alpaca because of the quality and quantity of its fiber, and the vicuna because of the softness, fineness and quality of its coat. Alpacas are too small to be used as pack animals. Instead, they were bred exclusively for their fiber and meat. Alpaca meat was once considered a delicacy by Andean inhabitants. A recent resurgence in Alpaca meat was curtailed by a recent change to Peruvian law granting the Alpaca protected status. Today, it is illegal to slaughter or trade in Alpaca meat. Because of the high price commanded by Alpaca on the growing North American Alpaca market, illegal Alpaca smuggling has become a growing problem. Alpacas and llamas can (and do) successfully cross-breed. The resulting offspring are called huarizo, which are valued for their unique fleece and often have gentle temperaments and are suitable for pets.

Alpacas are social herd animals that live in family groups consisting of a territorial alpha male, females and their young. They are gentle, elegant, inquisitive, intelligent and observant. As they are a prey animal, they are cautious and nervous if they feel threatened. They like having their own space and may not like an unfamiliar alpaca or human getting close, especially from behind. They warn the herd about intruders by making sharp, noisy inhalations that sound like a high pitch burro bray. The herd may attack smaller predators with their front feet, and can spit and kick. Due to the soft pads on their feet, the impact of a kick is not as dangerous as that of a hoofed animal, yet it still can give quite a bruise, and the pointed nails can inflict cuts.

What about spitting? Not all alpacas spit, but all are capable of doing so. "Spit" is somewhat euphemistic; occasionally the projectile contains only air and a little saliva but alpacas commonly bring up acidic stomach contents (generally a green grassy mix) and project it onto their chosen target. Spitting is mostly reserved for other alpacas, but an alpaca will occasionally spit at humans that, for example, take away food. For alpacas, spitting results in what is called "sour mouth." Sour mouth is characterized by a loose-hanging lower lip and a gaping mouth. This is caused by the stomach acids and unpleasant taste of the contents as they pass out of the mouth. Some alpacas will spit when looked at, others will never spit—their personalities are very individualized and there is no hard and fast rule in terms of social behavior, although there is often a group leader, and a group trailer/runt that is picked on by others.

To help alpacas control their internal parasites they have a communal dung pile, where they do not graze. Generally, males have much tidier, and fewer dung piles than females who tend to stand in a line and all go at once. One female approaches the dung pile and begins to urinate and/or defecate, and the rest of the herd often follows. Because of their preference for using a dung pile, some alpacas have been successfully house-trained.

What's more, many plants are poisonous to the Alpaca, including the bracken fern, fireweed, oleander, and some azaleas. In common with similar livestock, others include: Acorns, African rue, Agave, Amaryllis, Autumn Crocus, Bear Grass, Broom Snakeweed, Buckwheat, Ragweed, Buttercups, Calla lily, Orange tree, Carnations, beans from the Castor Oil plant, Cress and a great many others.

Once they know their owners and feel confident around them, alpacas may allow their backs and necks to be touched. They do not like being grabbed. Once socialized well, 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. If an owner needs to catch an alpaca, the neck offers a good handle—holding the neck firmly between the arms is the best way to restrain the animal. Holding the neck from the rear with the animal's head under one's arm is also very effective.

Individuals vary, but 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, from questioning to a high-pitched, almost desperate, squealing when a mother is separated from her offspring. 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 and/or submissive behavior, alpacas "cluck," or "click" a sound possibly generated by suction on the soft palate, or possibly in the nasal cavity. This is often accompanied by a flipping up of the tail over the back. When males fight they also scream, a warbling bird-like cry, presumably intended to terrify the opponent. Fighting determines dominance, and therefore the right to mate the females in the herd, and it is triggered by testosterone. This is why males are often kept in separate paddocks — when two dominant males get together, violent fights often occur. When males must be pastured together, it is wise to trim down the large fang-like teeth used in fights, called "fighting teeth". Although alpacas may try to bite each other, they only have a bottom row of teeth, so damage is usually minimal. When fighting they will often tangle others necks and attempt to push each other around, but they settle down after a week, as they establish dominance. When alpacas breed, males make a similar noise called an "orgle". This is thought to possibly stimulate ovulation in the female. This can sound like a warbling or gargling noise in the back or the throat, possibly generated by movement of the tongue.

Alpaca fleece is a light-weight, lustrous and silky natural fiber. While similar to sheep’s wool in that it is a natural fiber, it is warmer, not prickly, and bears no lanolin which makes it hypoallergenic. It is also soft and luxurious. In physical structure, alpaca fiber is somewhat akin to hair, being very glossy, but its softness and fineness enable the spinner to produce satisfactory yarn with comparative ease. It is hollow as well, which makes it a good insulator. The preparing, carding, spinning, weaving and finishing process of alpaca is very similar to the process used for wool.

If talking about Alpaca's reproduction, interesting fact is that A male in the act of mating, or hoping for a chance to mate, "orgles" (sings). This orgling helps to put the female in the mood, and it is believed to also help her to ovulate after mating. Females are "induced ovulators," which means that the act of mating and the presence of semen causes them to ovulate. Occasionally, females conceive after just one breeding (which can last anywhere from 5 minutes to well over an hour; the males are "dribble ejaculators,") but occasionally do have troubles conceiving. Artificial insemination is technically difficult because the act of breeding stimulates ovulation - but it can be accomplished. Babies conceived from artificial insemination are not registerable with the Alpaca Registry. A male is usually ready to mate for the first time between one and three years of age. A female alpaca may fully mature (physically and mentally) between 12−24 months. It is not advisable to allow a young female to be bred until she is mature, as over breeding a young female before conception is possible is a common cause of uterine infections. As the age of maturation varies greatly between individuals, it is usually recommended that novice breeders wait until females are 18 months of age or older before initiating breeding. Pregnancies last 11.5 months ± 2 weeks, and usually result in a single offspring or cria. Twins are rare, approximately 1/1000, slightly rarer than the proportion of twins in human births. After a female gives birth, she is generally receptive to breeding again after approximately two weeks. Crias may be weaned through human intervention at approximately 6 months and 60 pounds. However, many breeders prefer to allow the female to decide when to wean her offspring. Offspring can be weaned earlier or later depending on their size and emotional maturity.

It is believed that alpacas usually live for up to 20 years and sometimes even longer. In actual fact, conditions and nutrition are better in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Europe than in South America, so animals live longer and are healthier.

A rare Short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis), also known as the short-eared Zorro, short-eared fox, small-eared dog; in French: renard à petites oreilles; in Portuguese: cachorro-do-mato -de-orelhas-curtas; in Spanish: perro de monte, perro de orejas cortas, zorro negro, zorro ojizarco, is a canid species endemic to the Amazonian basin. It is very unique, this is the only species assigned to the genus Atelocynus. The Short-eared Dog can be found in the Amazon rainforest region of South America (in Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and possible Venezuela). It lives in different parts of the rainforest environment, preferring areas with little human disturbance. It lives in both lowland forests know as Selva Amazónica and terra firme forest, as well as in swamp forest, stands of bamboo, and partly Cloud forest.

The Short-eared Dog's evolution is analogous to other canids and placental mammals of South America. Throughout creation of Isthmus of Panama in the latter part the Tertiary (about 2.5 million years ago in the Pliocene), dogs migrated from North America to the southern continent. The Short-eared Dog's ancestors adapted to life in tropical rainforests, developing the requisite morphological and anatomical features. The latest systematics classifies it as a species in the Canini tribe, and its closest modern relative is probably the Crab-eating Fox (Cerdocyon thous ). It has 74 (2 x 36 autosomes + one pair of sex chromosomes) chromosomes.

More interesting facts about this wonderful unique doggy: the short-eared Zorro has short and slender limbs with short and rounded ears. The Short-eared Dog has a distinctive fox-like muzzle and bushy tail. It ranges from dark to reddish-grey, but can also be nearly navy blue, coffee brown, dark grey or chestnut-grey, and the coat is short, with thick and bristly fur. Its paws are partly webbed, owing to its partly aquatic habitat. It moves with feline lightness unparalleled among the other canids. It has a somewhat narrow chest, with dark colour variation on thorax merging to brighter, more reddish tones on the abdominal side of the body. This species possesses a large elongated head and long canine teeth, protruding even when its muzzle is closed. Its back often has a dark streak, while a brighter stain is on its tail. Like all canids, it has 42 teeth. Typical height at the shoulder is 25-30 cm. Its head nad body length is about 100 cm, with a tail of about 30-35 cm. It weighs about 9-10 kg.

A young/baby of a Short-eared dog is called a "whelp or pup". The females are called "bitch" and males "dog or sire". A Short-eared dog group is called a "pack, litter (young), kennel, gang or legion".

This wild fox/dog for the most part is a carnivore, with fish, insects, and small mammals making up the majority of its diet. An investigation led in Cocha Cashu Biological Station in Peru into the proportions of different kinds of food in this animal's diet produced the following results: fish 28%, insects 17%, small mammals 13%, various fruits 10%, crabs 10%, frogs 4%, reptiles 3%, birds 10%. This species has some unique behaviours not typical to other canids. Females of this species are about almost 1/3 larger than males. The excited male sprays a musk produced by the tail glands. It prefers a solitary lifestyle, in forest areas. It avoids humans in the natural environment. Agitated males will raise the hairs on its back. Lifespan and gestation period are unknown, although it is assumed that sexual maturity is reached at about one year of age.

The Short-eared Dog competes for food with the Jaguar, the Cougar, the Ocelot, the Margay and the Giant Otter, and compete for territory with the Bush Dog. Feral dogs pose a prominent threat to the population of the Short-eared Dog, as they proliferate the spread of diseases such as canine distemper and rabies to the wild population. Humans also contribute to the extermination of the Short-eared Dog via aggrandizement of the species' natural habitat and the destruction of tropical rainforests. Scientists still have little knowledge on its ecology.

A sensational new WildCRU initiative is to launch a research project and study of the short-eared dog, and sympatric carnivores, in one of the largest and most pristine rainforest areas of the world, in the Manu National Park (located south east of Peru, between the North of the Cusco Department and the Madre de Dios Department. The park comes from the Highlands, until the Jungle, it has 2 million Hectares (4.5 million acres), the territory is rich in flora and fauna species with a variety of habitats including high Andes, cloud forests, and lowland tropical rain forests) and the adjacent Alto Purus Reserved Zone (2.5 million ha), both in Peru. Bearing in mind almost nothing is known of this species, the project will be broadly based, but with a keen eye to the risks of disease caught from domestic dogs along with other conflicts stemming from the human populations outside the park. Planned outputs of the project include a vaccination programme for domestic dogs and a community education programme. Reports suggested that the short-eared dog was relatively common in Peru in the 1960s, but seemingly vanished from the region between 1970 and 1990, although our preliminary results are that it is increasing again. This pattern suggests two working hypotheses. Initially, that an epizootic disease is involved and, second that the short-eared dog was the victim of shifts in community structure, perhaps triggered by a documented crash in the peccary populations which may have shifted jaguars' diet and thus provoked a cascade of other effects. Domestic dogs are known to be an effective lure for jaguars, so perhaps short-eared dogs also attract the attention of these big cats. In a survey that held in 2000 a population of the short-eared-dogs in Manu National Park, along with healthy populations of peccaries, and jaguars. The same survey disclosed, even in the far-off villages in the park, widespread antibody titres for both distemper and parvovirus amongst domestic dogs. In 2002 a survey in the Alto Purus Reserved Zone revealed short-eared-dogs, jaguars and even peccaries, and led to the first ever radio-collaring of a short-eared dog. Two weeks after, this unique creature was shot and killed by local hunters.