Lamazing Facts about Alpacas!

#1

Alpacas and Llamas are visual learners and many members of the herd have their own speciality-trick up their sleeve…Hoolie taught the rest of the herd to go in and out the side door to where their food is stored.  Latte showed the rest of the herd that she figured out how to take off the metal feed bin lid…the list goes on!

#2

According to several studies done in New Zealand, Spring babies are larger and take a longer time in utero to be full term, while fall babies spend a shorter time in utero and smaller.  Their gestation averages 335 - 345 days.  HOWEVER, outside the average is very common… Murex  carried Busycon to only 333 days (born on 10-2-2020.  He was 15.4#), and Treasure just had Opal on day 365.  (Opal was born on 6-20-2025. She was 18.4#). 

#3

Only one baby is born per pregnancy.  Bebe alpacas average 15 lbs; bebe Llamas 25 lbs. Their eyes are open and they are ready to walk a bit, an hour after being born. They are usually born between 9am and 3pm.  Mom does not lick her new-born (they are sun dried instead).   Bebes gain  ½ lb or more per day on good milk!  Twins rarely make it to full term.

#4

Newborns and young alpacas or llamas are called crias, (Cria is an ancient Indigenous word for baby or child). People in Chile, Peru and Bolivia  often refer to their own children as crias.  Alpaca and Llama crias, especially the females, are often allowed to nurse for a year (or even 2).

#5

Alpacas and Llamas have a healthy and useful life-span of 20 to 25 years.

They mourn their dead. The whole herd and some mindful humans, gather around the body to nuzzle and say their goodbyes in other ways. This often takes several hours.  Once the herd family-member that had the closest relationship to the dead leaves the area, it is acceptable for people to bring in equipment and bury the body.

#6

Typical play involves pronking with all 4 feet leaving the ground at once, leaping over seated herd-mates, and rolling in the dirt or play-fighting with friends and relatives.  Both Alpacas and Llamas can sprint at 35mph.

#7

Their skin is either dark gray-black or white (pinkish). If the coat is spotted, so is the skin. Most animals have brown eyes. (Some have blue or grey). If they have 2 bright blue eyes, they are often deaf. (blue eyes are not allowed in a show ring either).

#8

There are 4 related species of the Camelid family found in South America (2 more are native to Asia and Africa).  The Llama, Alpaca, Vicuna and Guanaco (are the members of the New World Camalid family).  Both the Llama and the Alpaca were domesticated over 5000 years ago by the Inca peoples who populated the west coast of  South America.  DNA now shows Alpaca are a species of Vicuna or Vicugna pacos (in Latin) and are closely related to the Llama or Lama glama (in Latin).

#9

​The llama is also called “silent brother” by the Indigenous peoples of South America.  The only vocals you may hear from Alpacas or Llamas are an alarm-call when they see something they perceive as a threat (including our cat Nutter when he’s hunting in the tall grass), a hum (soft or loud as need be when they want something, an ear piercing scream when fighting, or an orgle (which is a gargling-like sound males make when breeding).

#10

Llamas are primarily used as pack-animals. Most have a distinct 2-layered fiber coat that has long guard hair and a shorter down undercoat that is shed yearly. A llama's coat can be quite sparse. Llamas are typically taller and more stately. Large adults can weigh  450lbs. Their 2 ears form a lyre shape at the top of their head.

#11

Alpacas are raised primarily for their 1-layer fiber coat that is not naturally shed.   Very large adult alpacas can weigh  220 lbs.  Alpacas have shorter, foxy-looking ears.  Alpacas come in 2 distinct types:  the Huacaya which are a wider and stockier animal with crimped, dense fiber.  And the Suris which are narrow-bodied and have a long and straight fiber that drapes on the animal.  Yearly shearing yields can be 10lbs or more per animal for either type.  There are 16 natural alpaca coat colors recognized in the USA.  These range from pure white to pure black, several grays and many shades of browns.  There may or may not be spots of another color on an animal too.

#12

What we call Alpaca fiber is actually hair that often has a sweet smell.   For people, it  is a very warm, soft and light-weight fiber which can be made into yarn, clothing and other textiles.  In addition,  alpaca hair has no lanolin so is  hypo-allergenic for most people.  Individual hairs can be as small as 10 to 20 microns (µm) in diameter. (For comparison:  Silk is about 7 µm;  Merino sheep wool is about 20µm, rug-quality sheep wool can be 40µm.  Human hair is around 100 µm.