Alpaca

More Information

Alpacas are camelids with slender bodies, long legs and neck, a small head, and large, pointed ears. They are covered in soft fleece and have feet so padded and soft they do not displace grass when standing. Adults can weigh up to 200 pounds and get to 40 inches tall at the shoulder. Alpacas come in 22 coat colors from white and silver to dark brown and black. There are two types of alpaca: Most are huacayas, with crimpy, woolly-looking fleece that grows perpendicular to skin. Suris, which are much rarer and less adapted to severe weather, have silky fleece that hangs in long, straight locks.

These gentle grazers are very social and live in herds. They have many different vocalizations, including a high hum that indicates a question and a shrill whistle that is used as an alarm call. Alpaca males become mature at two and a half years old. Females are mature around 12 months. Alpacas breed seasonally in their native environment. Gestation lasts for around one year and the 15-pound infant that results is called a cria. The cria is weaned at six months old.

Did You Know?

• Alpacas are the smallest member of the camelid family. They were domesticated 6,000 years ago from wild vicunas for their wool.
• Alpacas have no top front teeth, but develop three pairs of “fighting teeth” or fangs—two pairs on top, and one on the bottom—that can be more than 1 inch long.
• Alpacas thrive in farmed situations. Their population is currently thought to be at almost 4 million. In 1984, they started being imported to the U.S., which now has more than 250,000 alpacas.