Above, one of the Alpacas that were shared with the students at Fillmore Middle School.

Courtesy of Dustin Boschee, Tony Hurtado

When the alpacas came to FMS we learned many things. Here are a few of them. One fact we learned is that the white spot gene is fatal and 9 out of 10 alpacas with that gene would be deaf. We also learned alpacas have 74 chromosomes. Also we learned that having a white fleece is a dominant trait. Alpaca breeders breed for the softest microfibers in their fleece. Alpacas are a member of the camel family.

Alpacas also have some protection strategies. One of them is they spit when threatened. Alpacas also have two sharp nails on their toes so that they can climb up the mountains in Peru and Chile. Alpacas also take turns sleeping throughout the night to avoid predators. Alpacas have thick fleece to stay warm. Those are some protection strategies of alpacas.

Our favorite part of meeting the alpacas was being able to pet them and feed them. We also liked the feeling of their fleece because it felt like a marshmallow. Another part we liked was that we got to feel the products produced from the alpaca fleece. Some of the products we got to touch were socks, scarves, and beanies. We want to thank Jared Warren and his family for bringing their alpacas to Fillmore Middle School for the entire day. Every seventh grade student had the opportunity to learn about alpaca genetics. ALPACAS RULE!!!