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The
American Heritage - al·pac·a
( P ) Pronunciation Key (l-pk)
n. pl. alpaca or al·pac·as
A domesticated South American mammal (Lama pacos), related to the llama and
having fine, long wool.
The
silky wool of this mammal.
Cloth made from alpaca.
A coat made of this cloth.
A glossy cotton or rayon and wool fabric.
[American
Spanish, from Aymara allpaca.]
Webster's
Revised Unabridged Dictionary - \Al*pac"a\,
n. [Sp. alpaca, fr. the original Peruvian name
of the animal. Cf. Paco.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) An animal of Peru (Lama
paco), having long, fine, wooly hair, supposed
by some to be a domesticated variety of the
llama.
2.
Wool of the alpaca.
3.
A thin kind of cloth made of the wooly hair of
the alpaca, often mixed with silk or with cotton.
WordNet
- n
1: wool of the alpaca 2: a thin glossy fabric
made of the wool of the alpaca, or a rayon
or cotton imitation 3: domesticated llama with
long silky fleece; believed to be a domesticated
variety of the guanaco [syn: Lama
pacos]
Merriam-Webster
- Etymology: Spanish, from Aymara
allpaqa
Date: 1811
1 : a domesticated mammal (Lama pacos) especially of Peru that is prob. descended
from the guanaco
2 a : wool of the alpaca b (1) : a thin cloth made of or containing this wool
(2) : a rayon or cotton imitation of this cloth
World
Book - « al PAK uh», is
a grazing animal of South America that is related
to the camel. It is raised usually for its
fine wool. Sometimes the young, known as crias «KREE
ahz», are killed for meat. The alpaca
lives in mountain regions of Peru and Bolivia.
It thrives at heights from 12,000 to 16,000
feet (3,660 to 4,880 meters) above sea level.
The blood of the alpaca is especially efficient
in carrying oxygen, which is less abundant
at high elevations.
The
alpaca resembles the llama. Both of these animals
are believed to be descended from the guanaco,
a wild animal of the Andes Mountains. The alpaca
has longer wool of much better quality than the
llama. Alpacas are also close relatives of the
wild, wool-bearing vicunas that live in the Andes.
The
alpaca stands a little less than 4 feet (1.2
meters) high at the shoulder. It has a thick
coat of black, white, or brown hair that grows
from 8 to 24 inches (20 to 61 centimeters) long.
This hair is much straighter and finer than sheep's
wool. It provides one of the best fibers known
for making warm, soft material. Owners usually
shear their alpacas every year. They get as much
as 7 pounds (3 kilograms) of wool from some of
them.
Bolivia
and Peru have become the world's most important
producers of alpaca wool. They export some of
it to the United States and Europe to be manufactured
into cloth. They weave the remainder at home
and often make shawls out of it. Indians of Peru
raised alpacas, and made the wool into cloth
for hundreds of years before Europeans came to
South America. Much cloth called alpaca actually
contains sheep's wool and cotton and has little
or no alpaca wool in it.
See
also Guanaco; Llama; Vicuna.
Scientific
classification. Alpacas belong to the family
Camelidae. They are Lama pacos.
Reference
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Guanaco
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The
American Heritage - (gw-näk)
n. pl. gua·na·cos or guanaco
A reddish-brown South American ruminant mammal (Lama guanicoe) related to and
resembling the domesticated llama.
[Spanish, from Quechua huanaco.]
Webster's
Revised Unabridged Dictionary - \Gua*na"co\
(gw[.a]*n[aum]"k[-o]), n.; pl. Guanacos (-k[=o]z).
[Sp. guanaco, Peruv. huanacu. Cf. Huanaco.]
(Zo["o]l.) A South American mammal (Auchenia
huanaco), allied to the llama, but of larger
size and more graceful form, inhabiting the
southern Andes and Patagonia. It is supposed
by some to be the llama in a wild state. [Written
also huanaco.]
WordNet
- n
: wild llama [syn: Lama
guanicoe]
Merriam-Webster
- Main Entry: gua·na·co
Pronunciation: gw&-'nä-(")kO
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -cos also -co
Etymology: Spanish, from Quechua wanaku
Date: 1604
1 : a So. American mammal (Lama guanicoe) of dry open country that has a soft
thick fawn-colored coat and is related to the camel but lacks a dorsal hump
World
Book - « gwuh NAH koh»,
is an animal that looks like a small camel
without a hump. The guanaco and its relative,
the vicuna, are wild, wool-bearing animals
of South America. A guanaco stands 3 1/2 to
4 feet (107 to 122 centimeters) high at the
shoulder. It is cinnamon-brown in color with
white undersides and a gray to black face.
Guanacos
live in groups in the dry foothills of the Andes
Mountains in Peru, Chile, and Argentina, and
on the Patagonian plateau in Argentina. They
live at elevations from sea level to 14,000 feet
(4,300 meters) above sea level. After a gestation
period (pregnancy) of 111/2 months, the female
guanaco bears one baby, called a chulengo. The
llama and alpaca of South America may be descended
from the guanaco.
Scientific
classification. The guanaco belongs to the camel
family, Camelidae. It is Lama guanicoe.
Reference
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Llama
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The
American Heritage - (läm)
n.
A domesticated South American ruminant mammal (Lama glama) related to the camel,
raised for its soft, fleecy wool and used as a beast of burden.
Any of various other mammals of the genus Lama, such as the alpaca and guanaca.
[Spanish,
from Quechua.]
Webster's
Revised Unabridged Dictionary - \Lla"ma\,
n. [Peruv.] (Zo["o]l.) A South American
ruminant (Auchenia
llama), allied to the camels, but much
smaller and without a hump. It is supposed
to be a domesticated variety of the guanaco.
It was formerly much used as a beast of burden
in the Andes.
WordNet
- n
: wild or domesticated South American cud-chewing
animal related to camels but smaller and lacking
a hump
Merriam-Webster
- Main Entry: lla·ma
Pronunciation: 'lä-m&, 'yä-m&
Function: noun
Etymology: Spanish, from Quechua
Date: 1600
: any of a genus (Lama) of wild or domesticated So. American ruminants related
to the camels but smaller and without a hump; especially : the domesticated
guanaco used especially in the Andes as a pack animal and a source of wool
World
Book - « LAH muh», is
the largest South American member of the camel
family. The llama, like its smaller relative,
the alpaca, is a domesticated animal that may
be descended from the guanaco. The vicuna is
the llama's only other wild relative.
The
llama has no hump, and is about 4 feet (1.2 meters)
tall at the shoulder. Its thick, long hair may
be brown, buff, gray, white, or black. The female
llama bears one young at a time. A baby llama
is called a cria «KREE ah.»
The
llama is most useful as a pack animal. Llamas
generally can carry about 130 pounds (60 kilograms)
each, and are sure-footed on the mountain trails.
They can travel from 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32
kilometers) a day with a full load. If a llama
feels its pack is too heavy, or if it thinks
it has worked hard enough, it will lie down and
refuse to move. When the llama is angry or under
attack, it spits bad-smelling saliva in its enemy's
face.
The
llama is useful to the Indians of the South American
Andes. When the Spanish conquerors came to this
area during the 1500's, about 300,000 llamas
were being used to carry silver from the mines.
The Indians still use llamas to transport goods.
They eat the meat of the young animals. They
use the hair of the llama to make garments, and
they use its hide to make sandals. In the United
States and Canada, sometimes llamas are used
as pack animals and are raised for their wool.
The
llama is inexpensive to keep. It is hardy and
eats grasses and low shrubs that grow on high
mountains. The llama does not need to drink much
water. It can get much of its moisture from plants.
Scientific
classification. Llamas are members of the camel
family, Camelidae. They are Lama glama.
Reference
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Vicuna
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The
American Heritage - (v-kn, -ky-, v-,
v-kny)
n.
A llamalike ruminant mammal (Vicugna vicugna) of the central Andes, having
fine silky fleece.
The
fleece of this mammal.
Fabric made from the fleece of this mammal.
[Spanish, from Quechua wikuña.]
Webster's
Revised Unabridged Dictionary - \Vi*cu"[~n]a\,
Vicugna \Vi*cu"gna\, n. [Sp. vicu[~n]a.
Cf. Vigonia.] (Zo["o]l.) A South American
mammal (Auchenia vicunna) native of the elevated
plains of the Andes, allied to the llama but
smaller. It has a thick coat of very fine reddish
brown wool, and long, pendent white hair on
the breast and belly. It is hunted for its
wool and flesh.
WordNet
- n
1: the wool of the vicuna 2: a soft wool made
from the fleece of the vicuna 3: small wild
cud-chewing Andean animal similar to the guanaco
but smaller; valued for its fleecy undercoat
[syn: Vicugna
vicugna]
Merriam-Webster
- Main Entry: vi·cu·ña
Variant(s): or vi.cu.na /vi-'kün-y&, vI-; vI-'kü-n&, v&-,
-'kyü-/
Function: noun
Etymology: Spanish vicuña, from Quechua wik'uña
Date: 1604
1 : a wild ruminant (Vicugna vicugna syn. Lama vicugna) of the Andes from Peru
to Argentina that is related to the llama and alpaca
2 a : the wool from the vicuña's fine lustrous undercoat b : a fabric
made of vicuña wool; also : a sheep's wool imitation of this
World
Book - « vih KOON yuh»,
is the smallest member of the camel family.
It lives in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia,
Chile, and Peru, in areas from 12,000 to 18,000
feet (3,660 to 5,490 meters) above sea level.
Its home is generally near the snowline. The
vicuna and guanaco are the wild members of
the camel family in South America. The alpaca
and llama are domesticated. None has a hump.
The
vicuna measures 2 1/4 to 3 feet (69 to 91 centimeters)
high at the shoulder and weighs from 75 to 140
pounds (34 to 64 kilograms). Vicunas eat grass.
They usually live in herds that have one male
and several females. The male defends a specific
territory (area of ground) from other males.
Vicunas
have finer fleece than any other wool-bearing
animal. A vicuna produces about 4 ounces (113
grams) of fleece a year. The upper body is reddish
yellow to deep tan or reddish brown. The belly
and lower legs are white. The fleece grows until
it hangs below the flanks and knees. Only the
inner fleece is used. It is good for high-grade
worsted. So many vicunas were killed for their
wool that the species had become rare by the
1960's. Peru now protects them. The ancient Inca
protected vicunas and hunted them only once in
four years. Only royalty could use the fleece.
Scientific
classification. The vicuna is in the camel family,
Camelidae. It is Vicugna vicugna.
Reference
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Copyright 2002-2004 Steve Merrill - Updated
Wednesday, 7 July, 2004
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