Life+Expectancy+and+Breeding

The life expectancy of the South American alpaca is 20-25 years. This low maintenance animal lives this long because it is very disease resistant. Since the alpaca is new to the United States (imported here in the 1980's), we do not know if this is true for their life expectancy here. They are experiencing a new and different climate and food in the United States and we do not know if these new living conditions will affect their life span.

Unlike other animals, there is not a particular breeding season for the alpacas. Males are of breeding age at three years old, and females begin to breed at about eighteen months, which means that the female is in some stage of pregnancy throughout their whole life. The gestation period is 11.5 months. "If you expose a mature female to a male and she is not pregnant, she will ovulate within days. If she is already pregnant, she will refuse to breed with the male and "spit him off"." (Alpaca l0l, 2005) [|Click here to see baby alpacas]
 * [[image:IMG_1283.jpg width="185" height="234"]] || All births take place in the middle of the day (10:00a.m. - 2:00pm). Births are relatively easy; no help is needed. Single births are the norm; twins are rare. The baby is called a cria and weighs in at 15 - 20 pounds. The cria is able to stand at 30 minutes after birth. ||

Sources: Galbraith, David & Karen. "Cria Album". Alpaca Cria Picture Gallery. 2003-2007. <[|http://www.walnutcreekalpacas.com]>. 31 July, 2008. , . (2007). //Welcome to Hunter Hill Alpacas//. //Hunter Hill Alpacas//. Retrieved 30 July, 2008, from [|http://hunterhillalpacas.com]. , . (2002). //Alpacahome//. //East River Alpaca//. Retrieved 30 July, 2008, from [|http://www.alpacahome.com]. McCandless, Mike & Debbie. (2006). //Owning Alpacas//. //Caring and profiting from Alpacas//. Retrieved 30 July, 2008, from [|http://owning-alpaca.com]. Mill, Jerr. (2008). //Alpaca Farms across America//. //I love Alpacas and so will you//. Retrieved 30 July, 2008, from [|http://ilovealpacas.com]. , . (2005). //Alpaca 101//. //Breeding and Raising Alpacas//. Retrieved 30 July, 2008, from [|http://www.alpaca101.com]. 