The Alpaca
An Alpaca (Vicugna pacos) is a domesticated species of South American camelid of which there are two varieties, one of which resembles a small Llama in appearance.
Alpacas are considerably smaller than Llamas, and unlike llamas, they were not bred to be beasts of burden, but were bred specifically for their fiber and meat. Alpaca fiber is used for making knitted and woven items, similar to wool.
Alpaca Varieties
The two types of Alpacas are the Huacaya Alpaca (pronounced Wuh-kai-ya) and the Suri Alpaca.
Huacaya Alpacas are fluffy like teddy bears and have fleece similar in appearance to but not the same as Sheep.
The Suri Alpaca has long lustrous locks with a curl or twist which is similar to but also not the same as Mohair from the Goat.
In the world market the Suri Alpaca is rarer and therefore much more expensive.
Can you spot the difference?
