# Alpaca (*Vicugna pacos*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/alpaca  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The alpaca (Vicugna pacos) is a living mammal in the family Camelidae and the tribe Lamini, within the order Artiodactyla. Its gestation period is 293 days, with values from 242 to 344 days reported by our sources. The alpaca has a lifespan of up to 25.8 years. The scientific name Vicugna pacos carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1758) and places the species in the genus Vicugna of the class Mammalia.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | up to 25.8 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 242 days – 344 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Artiodactyla
- family: Camelidae
- genus: Vicugna
- species: *Vicugna pacos* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Camelus pacos*, *Lama pacos*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is an alpaca?

The alpaca is a mammal in the family Camelidae, tribe Lamini, within the order Artiodactyla.

### What is the scientific name of the alpaca?

The scientific name of the alpaca is Vicugna pacos, in the genus Vicugna.

### Who named the alpaca and when?

The authority for Vicugna pacos is written as (Linnaeus, 1758).

### How long does an alpaca live?

The alpaca has a lifespan of up to 25.8 years.

### How long is the alpaca gestation period?

The alpaca gestation period is 293 days. Our sources report values from 242 to 344 days.

### Is the alpaca extinct?

No, the alpaca is a living species, not extinct, according to the Catalogue of Life.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Alpaca (Vicugna pacos). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/alpaca