Alpaca

Native to South America

Alpacas are part of the Camelid family and are cousins to Camels and Llamas.  While often confused with the Llama, Alpacas are considerably smaller than Llamas.  At maturity, they grow to about 5 feet tall and weigh about 150 pounds.  Alpacas and Llamas can successfully crossbreed and will produce fertile offspring.  The fiber they grow is luxurious!   A baby Alpaca is called a cria (cree-ah) and a cria’s first coat before shearing is the most desirable and expensive.   Alpacas are often bred specifically for their fiber and it’s used to make sweaters, hats, poncho, blankets and many other woven items.  There are many different colors of Alpacas.  In Peru, there are 52 natural colors of Alpacas!  As herbivores, Alpacas eat hay, grass and grain.  The lifespan of an Alpaca is 15-20 years.