The interest in applying new reproductive technologies in South Americ
an camelids has increased dramatically over the last decade due in par
t to their unique reproductive characteristics and the potential for c
ommercial application. The objectives of this presentation are to summ
arize and review the current status of research on reproductive physio
logy of South American camelids and to review more recent work on the
application of new technologies to these species. Reproductive technol
ogies reported in other species, including Al, superovulation, embryo
transfer and IVF to some extent have now been successfully applied to
South American camelids. In this report, particular attention will be
given to ovarian follicular dynamics, oocyte maturation, fertilization
and embryo development in vitro and in vivo. These species offer an e
xcellent model for the study of reproductive events in induced ovulato
rs. It is expected that knowledge obtained in the domesticated species
of South American camelids (llama and alpaca) will be applicable and
contribute to the preservation of other camelid species (guanacos, vic
unas and old world camelids) and other unrelated exotic species.