SEASONAL VARIATION IN WATER INTAKE IN LLAMA (Lama glama) AND ALPACA (Lama pacos) SPECIES

摘要

Water consumption was recorded during selected periods throughout the year to determine variation that occurs with climactic changes and between species for llama (Lama glama) and alpaca (Lama pacos) housed in North America. Llamas had mean water consumption of 46.1 ml kg~(-1) water during summer, 34.1 ml kg~(-1) during autumn, 25.0 ml kg~(-1) during winter, and 33.2 ml kg~(-1) during spring. Alpacas had mean water consumption of 69.0 ml kg~(-1) water during summer, 50.2 ml kg~(-1) during autumn, 40.6 ml kg~(-1) during winter, and 46.1ml kg~(-1) during spring. On a metabolic body weight basis, llamas and alpacas had mean water consumptions of 117.2 ml kg'075*"1 and 101.1ml kg (075)~(-1), respectively, during spring, 157.1 ml kg <075H ancj 194.8 ml kg <075H, respectively during summer, 116.2 ml kg <°-75>-1 and 141.6 ml kg (0.75)~(-1), respectively during autumn, and 86.7 ml kg 0.75H and 114.9 ml kg <0.75>~(-1), respectively during winter. Mean daily ambient temperature during summer, autumn, winter, and spring sample periods were 25.4 deg C, 24.6 deg C, 4.4 deg C, and 21.0deg C, respectively. Mean relative humidity during the summer, autumn, winter, and spring sample periods were 69.6, 64.2, 82.5, and 87.2%, respectively. This study showed that seasonal environmental variations correlated with variation in water consumption in llamas and alpacas (P< 0.05). This study determined that alpacas consume greater amounts of water per kilogram body weight than llamas in any given season under the same temperature and humidity (P < 0.05).