Nav: Home > Flower Gardening >

More powerful than the immortal beast. This is the camel behind the Inca empire.

Published: 2024-11-23 Author: mysheen

Last Updated: 2024/11/23, The Inca civilization, the Mayan civilization and the Aztec civilization are also known as the three major American civilizations. After years of battles, the Incas established the largest pre-Columbian empire in America in the Andes, with Cusco as its capital.

The Inca civilization, the Mayan civilization and the Aztec civilization are also known as the three major American civilizations. After years of battles, the Incas established the largest Inca empire in pre-Columbian America, with Cusco as its capital, in the Andes. The real name of the country is Tahuantinsuyo, which means the land of the four directions. The Incas, known as the "Romans of America", built Machu Picchu on a ridge 2400 meters above sea level overlooking the Urubamba Valley, which is now a must in Peru.

However, no matter how many lights and shadows change and the buildings are magnificent, they can't catch up with the eye-catching alpacas in the photos of tourists. Contrary to what people think, they are not the flowers of this picture, but the important elements that determine the existence of this picture and even the Inca civilization.

Llamas overlooking the ruins of Machu Picchu. Picture: Thomas Marent / MInden Pictures

It's a llama, not an immortal beast.

To tell this story clearly, we must first recognize our protagonist, Lama glama. Many people will shout a fairy beast when they see the picture, but this is not the fairy beast Vicugna pacos as we know it, but another species, llama, or alpaca. Llamas are twice the size of alpacas and have two large and towering ears, which are more alert and cute than the small ears of immortal beasts.

Big ears, super handsome der! Picture: Mark Taylor / NPL

In fact, there are four similar animals in South America. In addition to the two domesticated species mentioned above, the other two are pure wild, namely, the primitive camel (L. guanicoe) and the small alpaca (V. vicugna), all of which belong to the family Camelidae. Like other camels, they all have only a pair of upper incisors (and three pairs of lower incisors), and the upper and lower incisors do not correspond to each other, so they rely on the friction between the lower incisors and the upper gums to cut food.

Large face blindness scene. For the source of the picture, see Watermark.

Camels originated in North America about 40 million years ago and then migrated to all parts of the world. One of them went south through a land bridge between North and South America 3 million years ago and came to South America to form a llama. It is a pity that North America, where it originated, lost all its camels later.

The Andes have high altitude, low oxygen, large temperature difference between day and night, and food shortage. however, llamas have extremely high concentrations of hemoglobin and red blood cells, so they can adapt to the environment here.

An alpaca with colored ear tags. Picture: picture: Mark Taylor / NPL

The founder of the Inca empire

About 4,000-5000 years ago, llamas were domesticated by the native Indians of the Andes and became the most important species to local society. Compared with their other three relatives, llamas are the most widely distributed. They are found from the plateau to low-altitude coastal areas, and they are large and hard-working, making them the only domesticated and camel-heavy mammals in America.

Compared with the rich species of pack animals (horses, donkeys, cattle, etc.) in Asia and Africa, South America does not have many choices. As it happens, llamas are tall and strong, and they can walk 30 kilometers with an object equal to their own weight (about 60 kilograms) without pressure, and their character is docile, so they have become good friends of human beings. Before the industrial revolution, load-bearing animals were crucial to the expansion of a civilization. Whether it was material transportation, housing construction or military preparation, efficiency and population alone were problems and had to rely on other species.

An alpaca with an object in a camel. Picture: Pete Oxford / NPL

However, let the llama camel things casually, let it pull the rickshaw, it will quit. Although llamas range from Ecuador in the north to the southern tip of Peru, allowing people in the Andean mountains to eat fish near Shanghai, they are unable to adapt to the hot and humid climate and find it difficult to cross the lowland rainforest. as a result, it limits the extent to which Inca civilization can expand.

Llamas cross the Andes with silver. Picture: Helen Cowie / phys.org

In addition to work, llamas also use their own flesh to contribute to human civilization. Although the hair of llamas is not as soft as that of alpacas, it is thicker and thicker than wool. It is said that its meat has neither the smell of mutton nor the fat of pork, so it has become an important source of food.

At the same time, llamas are also traditional sacrificial objects, and 100 of them are easily wiped by the Incas to offer sacrifices to the gods, becoming an important part of the official celebration. It can be said that an alpaca has the functions of domesticated horses, cattle and sheep in Europe.

Alpaca fetuses sold at witch markets in Bolivia are thought to bring luck and are sometimes buried under the foundations of the house. Picture: Mark Taylor / Minden Pictures

An empire built on poop

But it may be another thing of the llama that plays a more important role. 2,700 years ago, the Incas changed from hunting and gathering to farming, so they could adapt to high altitude. as a result, the prosperous Inca civilization occupied most of South America and formed the Inca empire. there used to be an important neglected element-alpaca poop. Llamas like to poop in a unified place, through this way to mark the location for communication, it can be said to have its own fixed defecator and collective public toilet function. This makes it convenient for humans to go to fixed places to collect fertilizer, which can be used to grow crops or make fuel.

Cutie. Picture: Nigel Cattlin / FLPA

An archaeological study has found that corn can be grown at high altitudes thanks to the nourishment of large amounts of alpaca feces. Corn was introduced to South America from Mexico 5000 years ago, but it was difficult to grow high in the Andes before using fertilizer. The widespread collection and use of alpaca droppings prompted the Incas to develop farming culture instead of relying on wild grains. Corn can be planted up to 3350 meters high, which greatly increases the energy intake of the Incas and promotes the formation of the future Inca empire. In short, an important pillar of the Inca empire was the poop of llamas.

Picture: R and M Van Nostrand / FLPA

However, when the Spaniards set foot in South America, they brought bad luck to llamas and all four South American camels. They are slaughtered in large numbers because of human demand for meat and are affected by exotic diseases. In addition, because of the Spanish preference for sheep, the originally mature breeding techniques of llamas have been suppressed and abandoned, and their populations have been reduced by 80% to 90% in 100 years, and alpacas and llamas have been forced to the brink of extinction.

A shepherdess who weaves near llamas. Picture: Daniel Heuclin / Naturepl.com

Alpacas and others finally survived only because sheep and other animals could not adapt to the high-altitude climate of the Andes. It was not until the 19th century, when the world textile industry rediscovered the delicacy and warmth of alpaca hair, that South America rerealized the importance and uniqueness of these native camels and began to pay attention to raising alpacas and llamas. And actively protect two other nearly extinct wild animals.

The stubbornness of llamas

Llamas are gregarious animals that like to huddle together and are difficult to live alone. A group usually consists of up to 20 individuals, consisting of an adult male and about six females and their cubs. This male will always be on guard against other males and defend his territory. Once challenged, they will enter a fighting state, bite their limbs and wring each other's necks like a giraffe until one side lies on the ground, his neck drooping wilting and his tail tilted to surrender.

String your neck, string my neck, string a braid. Picture: shagbarkridge

The fierce temper of alpacas, which is aggressive and anxious, also makes them as famous caretakers as dogs and donkeys. For some domestic animals, such as goats or sheep, llamas automatically treat them as part of the family. If predators come near, they will protect their families with dignity, standing between sheep and predators, with the appearance of "whoever dares to touch my sheep, he will have a hard time with me."

A handsome and reliable guardian. Picture: Farming with Carnivores Network

Alpaca motionless temper also like to spit population water, neck back, a mouthful of stuffy sputum, sprayed at you. It's okay to have a refreshing mouthful, and sometimes it will be sprayed with the digestion products in the stomach that come back up. A green pile of debris mucus, accompanied by alpaca disdain stubborn eyes.

"Oh, man." Picture: Pete Oxford / Minden Pictures

This article is the 233rd article in the fourth year of the species calendar, from @ Li Binbin, author of the species calendar.