11/11/2023 0 Comments Fat lama picturesLlamas are transportation and pack animals. Alpacas have a more rounded, sloping body.įor 5,000 years, people have bred alpacas and llamas. Llamas have long, straight backs, better suited to carry packs. Baby alpacas have super fine hair when their coats are shorn. Suri has silky dreadlock-like hair that grows toward the ground and is better suited for weaving. The Huacaya alpaca has thick, soft, crimped fleece. The rough outer coat (llama fleece) is used for lead ropes, rugs, and wall hangings. The undercoat is softer and more delicate, sometimes used for garments. Llamas have short, coarse, double-coated hair. A llama is a lot bigger than its cousin! 4. The alpaca stands at 81-99cm tall at the withers (shoulder area). 3 How Tall (Average Body Sizes)įull-grown llamas grow to around 1.7-1.8m tall. Alpaca have short ears, shaped like spears, with a point at the top. These banana-shaped ears stick almost straight up out from the head. Llama ears are long, curved, and have ears shaped like bananas. Llamas have little hair on their heads but some on their necks. Llamas have a longer face, like a kangaroo or horse, and prominent muzzles. The alpaca’s face has thick fur, on the head and neck. Alpacas’ faces are short, a blunt muzzle and snout, and are fluffy. In short, while alpaca faces look squashed, llamas have long snouts. These features are the easiest way to distinguish an alpaca from a llama. Llamas and alpacas have lanolin-free fleece, unlike sheepĭon’t worry if you thought they were the same thing! Here’s a list of the difference between Alpacas and llamas.Llama and Alpacas call the Andes Mountains region home, in central and South America.Llamas and alpacas have much in common, including These south American animals from the camel family may look indistinguishable. They have long, skinny necks, big bodies, and a small gray long face with pointy banana-shaped ears. Guanacos are one of the largest mammals on the continent.Īfter Vicuñas, llama fiber is precious. They live in Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Patagonia in Argentina, and parts of Paraguay. Guanacos are larger than Vicuñas but smaller than llamas. I visited a Llama and Alpaca farm in late 2021 in Australia, and I had the privilege of feeding an eight-month-old Llama! His name was B-B, and he was hungry! In North America, around 10,000-12,000 yrs ago, camelids were extinct. Three million years later, they migrated to South America because of the Great American Interchange. They’re believed to come from North America (around 40 million yrs ago). Llamas are a South American camelid related to the Guanaco. Llamas A Llama, see his pointy curved ears. Their fur has shades from white to almost jet black.įun Fact: Huacaya fleece lacks lanolin, making it hypoallergenic.Alpaca ears are short and shaped like spears.Though they look plump and rounded, their neck and body are slim underneath. Huacaya has short, crimpy, and fluffy fleece.Less than ten percent of the alpaca population are Suris. Suri hair is long, straight, and tassel-like, a bit like dreadlocks.There are two breeds of alpaca, Suri, and Huacaya. Their (camels) camelid cousin, Vicuñas, are smaller than alpacas and guanacos and are more delicate. Nowadays, their numbers have recovered to approximately 350,000. At first glance, they look indistinguishable from llamas, but there are differences!įun Fact: The scientific name of Alpacas is ‘Vicugna pacos.’ ‘Vicugna’ sounds like ‘vicuna,’ and vice versa. Alpacas live up to 4,500m above sea level – llamas, 5,500m.ĭomesticated Alpacas are descendants of the wild South American ‘Vicuña,’ from the camelid family. They’re still in and around Machu Picchu today! Despite being native to South America, there are 300,000 Alpacas and llamas in the United States. If you’re an alpaca farmer or llama farmer, you must have to deal with people confusing your animals all the time!įirst thought to be domesticated by the Inca Empire, Machu Picchu, was a place for rearing these creatures. The alpaca, the llama, and their camelid cousins, vicunas, and guanacos. Important Note: There are four related animals. I reviewed, fact checked and updated this post on May 22, 2023. Soon, you’ll know how to determine an alpaca and a llama! Weight – Alpacas – 150 lbs | Llamas – 400 lbs.Temperament – Alpaca – timid | Llama – confident.Behavior – Alpacas – social | Llamas – independent.Strength – Alpaca – weak | Llama – strong.Spitting – Alpacas – hardly | Llamas – often.Purpose – Alpaca – fleece | Llama – pack animal/guard.Body – Alpacas – short/rounded | Llamas – long/straight.Fleece – Alpaca – fine/fluffy | Llama – short/coarse.Ears – Alpaca – short/spear-shaped | Llama – long/curved.Face – Alpacas – short/blunt | Llamas – long/pronounced.
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