Three million years of separation between the Asian and South American camelids have produced great changes in appearance and adaptation to respective environments, but have not erased the common ancestry of the six living species of camels alive today. The mystery of exactly how the camel family is interrelated is an area of scientific inquiry that has never been adequately explored. With a more singular approach to reproduction, the rest of this issue has a series of articles that will be of interest to all serious alpaca breeders. Karen Timm, DVM, PhD, another member of Oregon State's camelid research team, writes a piece on how to care for the geriatric alpaca. Aging animals are, or will be, a reality for all of us, and their special needs require attention.
Geriatric animals are at the end of their reproductive years.
Knowing how to care for the aging mother and make decisions concerning her reproductive status is essential, if humane treatment is a goal. In the geriatric animal, we often see the sad dividends of poor breeding practices. In Efficient Alpaca Breeding , many interesting aspects of alpaca reproduction are reported from the research literature. The article is intended to help the manager breed alpacas more efficiently. I combine the literature with practical methods for sleuthing breeding problems, so that when they do occur, they can be quickly identified and corrected, resulting in a favorable outcome.