How is an alpaca different from a llama?

We get asked this a lot! Alpacas and llama are both in the camelid family. Yes, that's right. We own camels! In vet medicine, they are considered an exotic. An alpaca is smaller than a llama, by around 200 lbs. They are usually friendlier. They have finer, more luxurious fiber, and more fiber on their legs. Llama hair is coarser and has a shorter staple length. Llamas carry a much heavier pack. Llamas tend to spit more, because they are more guarding in nature. You often see a llama guarding a herd of alpacas. Llamas have fighting teeth and they can bite. Alpacas generally don't use their fighting teeth, if they get them, and usually have them removed as soon as they peek through. Both are easily trained, and eat the same diet. Both give birth to "crias" after an almost year long gestation. Llamas have been in this country longer than alpacas, which have been around here since the 80's. The camelid Tina in Napoleon Dynamite was a llama. The camelid in Emperor's New Groove is a llama. The camelid pair in Evan Almighty is an alpaca!