Alpaca, Llama - What's the difference?
August 1st 2007 00:17
Alpaca, Llama - What's the difference?
I get asked this all the time and for a while there were some llamas agisted next door, so I could just point and say "they are llamas".
Generally speaking, llamas are bigger than alpacas. They have a longer face which is often described as more horse-like. Llamas often have banana shaped ears which point inwards at the top, whereas alpacas have straight, spear shaped ears. Alpacas generally have more fleece on their heads and legs than llamas too.
If you look at the animal side on, the llama's back will be quite flat and his tail will sit up off the base of his spine. The back of an alpaca is more rounded.
The two species are very closely related though and can be interbred, producing fertile offspring. The problem with doing this is that apparently you end up with an animal which has neither the wonderful soft fleece of the alpaca, nor the packing/carrying capabilities of the llama. The cross-bred animal is called a huarizo.
As for temperament differences, that I don't know. Some people prefer llamas, some like alpacas. Probably just one of those personal choice things.
I guess it depends what you want them for. If you want to go packing or carting, then llamas are more suited for the job. For fleece production, most go for alpacas (though llama fibre can be lovely too).
I have imagined hitching my alpacas up to a cart, but then have visions of freaked out alpacas flying wildly through fences and trees, with bits of a rapidly disintegrating cart flying off in every direction. I have managed to gain a certain amount of trust from my alpacas but I’m not sure any of them would take to being hitched to a cart without some kind of violent objection.
Maybe that’s the difference.
I get asked this all the time and for a while there were some llamas agisted next door, so I could just point and say "they are llamas".
Generally speaking, llamas are bigger than alpacas. They have a longer face which is often described as more horse-like. Llamas often have banana shaped ears which point inwards at the top, whereas alpacas have straight, spear shaped ears. Alpacas generally have more fleece on their heads and legs than llamas too.
If you look at the animal side on, the llama's back will be quite flat and his tail will sit up off the base of his spine. The back of an alpaca is more rounded.
The two species are very closely related though and can be interbred, producing fertile offspring. The problem with doing this is that apparently you end up with an animal which has neither the wonderful soft fleece of the alpaca, nor the packing/carrying capabilities of the llama. The cross-bred animal is called a huarizo.
As for temperament differences, that I don't know. Some people prefer llamas, some like alpacas. Probably just one of those personal choice things.
I guess it depends what you want them for. If you want to go packing or carting, then llamas are more suited for the job. For fleece production, most go for alpacas (though llama fibre can be lovely too).
I have imagined hitching my alpacas up to a cart, but then have visions of freaked out alpacas flying wildly through fences and trees, with bits of a rapidly disintegrating cart flying off in every direction. I have managed to gain a certain amount of trust from my alpacas but I’m not sure any of them would take to being hitched to a cart without some kind of violent objection.
Maybe that’s the difference.
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