The Alpaca, a member of the camelid family from South America, is a domesticated relative of the Guanaco and the Vicuña who is bred for its luxurious, soft coat. The Alpaca is frequently confused with the llama, but while both domesticated South American camelids, they are two distinct species; the Alpaca being the smaller of the two, and the Llama being larger and used as a pack animal. There two types of Alpacas, the more common Huacayas, identifiable by their fluffy, teddy-bear like appearance, and the Suris, identifiable by their silky fleece that grows in locks. Alpaca fibers can come in as many as 52 natural colors from Peru, but only 12 and 16 are from Australia and the United States, respectively.
The average Alpaca has an overall height of 39"-46" (99-117 cm), withers height of 32"-39" (81-99 cm), and body length of 48"-84" (122-213 cm). A typical Alpaca weighs between 45-68 lb (100-175 kg) and has a lifespan of roughly 15-25 years.
The Alpaca, a member of the camelid family from South America, is a domesticated relative of the Guanaco and the Vicuña who is bred for its luxurious, soft coat. The Alpaca is frequently confused with the llama, but while both domesticated South American camelids, they are two distinct species; the Alpaca being the smaller of the two, and the Llama being larger and used as a pack animal. There two types of Alpacas, the more common Huacayas, identifiable by their fluffy, teddy-bear like appearance, and the Suris, identifiable by their silky fleece that grows in locks. Alpaca fibers can come in as many as 52 natural colors from Peru, but only 12 and 16 are from Australia and the United States, respectively.
The average Alpaca has an overall height of 39"-46" (99-117 cm), withers height of 32"-39" (81-99 cm), and body length of 48"-84" (122-213 cm). A typical Alpaca weighs between 45-68 lb (100-175 kg) and has a lifespan of roughly 15-25 years.
