Lamini
| Lamini | |
|---|---|
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|
| Llama | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Camelidae |
| Tribe: | Lamini |
| Genera | |
Lamini (members are called laminoids) is a tribe of the subfamily Camelinae. It contains two extant genera with four species, all exclusively from South America: llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos. The former two are domesticated species, while the latter two are only found in the wild. All lack sexual dimorphism. The four species can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Additionally, there are two extinct genera known from the fossil record.
The digestive system of lamoids allows them to digest certain toxins. Laminoids also lack a gallbladder.
The alpaca, a domestic camelid, weighs between 50 and 65 kg (110 and 143 lb), while its height at the shoulder is 94–104 cm (37–41 in). It is slightly larger than the vicuña. Normally, the alpaca is found in the Andes in Peru and Bolivia, though it also inhabits northern Chile and northwestern Argentina. There are about 3.5 million alpacas in the world. In the 1980s, alpacas started being exported to other countries for farming purposes: they can be found in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, though the vast majority still reside in South America.
The alpaca is mainly used for its wool. Out of the domestic camelids, the alpaca produces wool with longer and finer fiber than the llama, with a diameter of 18–25 micrometers per strand.
The guanaco is a wild camelid, standing at 100–120 cm (39–47 in) at the shoulder and 150–160 cm (59–63 in) at the head. It can weigh up to 140 kilograms (310 lb). Its is longer than that of the vicuña but shorter than that of the alpaca; it is considered to be of excellent quality and has a light brown, reddish, or brown-yellow color. The diameter of its fleece's fibers varies between 16 and 18 micrometers.
90% of the world's guanacos are in Argentina, distributed from the islands of the Beagle Channel and the southern extremity of the Patagonia to the Puna grassland in northeastern Argentina. Guanacos can also be found in Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru.
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