Status in the Wild:
Alpacas produce one of the finest and most luxurious natural fibers. It is soft like cashmere and warmer, lighter and stronger than wool. With 22 basic colors, it comes in more colors than any other fiber produced by an animal. The Zoo’s alpaca is sheared every other year in the spring. Her shorter summer ‘do helps keep her cool in the summer.
The physical differences between llamas and alpacas are the most obvious. One of the easiest differences to spot is the ears. Llamas have long, banana-shaped ears, while alpacas have shorter, spear-shaped ears. Another difference is their size. Most alpacas weigh between 100 and 175 pounds when fully grown. Llamas, on the other hand, weigh between 200 to 350 pounds with some as heavy as 400 pounds.