Exotic Pet Health Insurance

Working as a exotic pet health insurance advisor I often get questions about a whole menagerie of animals. The other day someone approached me asking about exotic pet health insurance information and general pet health information about this animal from the Andean Mountains called Alpacas. Alpacas have been domesticated for thousands of years. There are no wild alpacas; they were bred down in domesticated form from the vicuña, which is also native to South America. They are closely related to llamas, which are descended from the guanaco. These four species of animals are collectively called camelids. Of the four, the alpaca and the vicuña are the most valuable fiber-bearing animals: the alpaca because of the quality and quantity of its fiber, and the vicuña because of the softness, fineness and quality of its coat. Alpacas cannot carry pack loads like their llama cousins; they were bred exclusively for their fiber and meat. Alpacas and llamas can (and do) successfully cross breed. The resulting offspring are called huarizo, and have little "real purpose," but often have gentle temperaments and are suitable for pets. Alpaca fleece is a luxurious fiber, similar to sheep's wool in some respects, but lighter in weight, silkier to the touch, warmer, not prickly and bears no lanolin, making it nearly hypoallergenic. A big trade of alpaca fleece exists in the countries where alpacas live, from very simple and not so expensive garments made by the aboriginal communities, to sophisticated and expensive products. Because of their preference to using one location for defecation and urination, some alpacas have been successfully house-trained. If acclimated to dogs and cats, alpacas can accept them as members of the herd, and interact with nearly all species, which do not pose a threat, from birds to horses.