Alpaca Facts - FAQ
Do Alpacas Kick?
Alpacas are very gentle and friendly animals, kicking is very rare and alpacas almost never bite.
What is a baby alpaca called?
A baby alpaca is called a ‘cria’
How long are alpacas pregnant for?
The gestation period for Alpacas is around 11.5 months. Alpacas usually only have a single cria (twins are extremely rare and usually end up with complications)
How much does a baby alpaca weigh when born?
A baby alpaca or Cria usually weighs around 6 to 8kg at birth and they start to walk and nurse usually within the hour.
How long do Alpacas live for?
An alpaca’s life expectancy is around 15 to 25 years
Do you need to shear an Alpaca? How often?
Alpacas need to be shorn once a year, in Australia shearing time is usually late September to November.
Do Alpacas Spit?
Yes. Alpacas do spit, but not very often and they usually only spit at each other in order to maintain their space or when competing for food.
Are Alpacas and Llamas the same?
Alpacas are closely related to Llamas. They are both from the same camelid family, which also includes camels.
Llamas are approximately twice the size of an alpacas and have banana like shaped ears and… they do spit.
Is there more than one type of Alpaca?
There are two types of breeds of alpacas.
A Huacaya (wah-ki-yah)
A Huacaya is the most common alpaca, the huacayas fibre is dense and has a crimp quality to it.
The Suri alpaca has lustrous, silky fibre that drapes down like a curtain. Suri fibre has more of a slippery and silky feel.
Do Alpacas make sounds?
Alpacas make a humming sound to communicate. Cria and some adult alpacas also sometimes make a clicking sound. Alpacas also make a shrill alarm call that sounds almost like birds screeching. This sound is usually made by the herd protector and is used to alarm the herd when they see a predator or something unusual.
Alpacas also communicate through their tail, ear positions and their body posture.
