There are many kinds of animals in the world. There are animals which are commonly known as “house pets”, but there are also some which can be called “wild”. One of these is the alpaca.
Alpacas and llamas have similar shapes, colors, fur and patterns. They are also very similar in size. One of the differences between them is that alpacas are smaller than llamas. Their hairs grow down their backs and legs while llamas have longer hairs on their legs and feet. Alpacas tend to be a little heavier than llamas. They also live longer lives than their relatives, the llamas.
| Alpaca | Llama |
| Alpacas are smaller than llamas | Bigger than Alpacas. |
| Their hairs grow down their backs and legs and fluffier than llama. | llamas have longer hairs on their bodies, but the furs are coarser. |
| Alpacas live mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. | Llamas are native to South America but they have been widely introduced into other parts of the world including Australia. |
There is a common misconception that alpacas eat mainly grasses and wild plants, but this is not true at all. They eat mostly shrubs, wild grasses, herbs and bushes as well as roots from trees, bulbs and leaves from shrubs. Alpacas are not considered a good animal for meat production because they don’t like to eat meat or to drink milk.
Distribution
Alpacas are found in the Andes of South America. They live in a wide range of areas. Alpacas live mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. They are also found in Ecuador and Colombia. In the wild they live on high altitudes (4,000 to 5,000 meters) at an altitude of about 3,300 meters (10,200 feet).
Llamas are native to South America but they have been widely introduced into other parts of the world including Australia. They have also been brought into North America for use as pack animals.
Today there are many domesticated llamas living all over the world. Some llamas can be found in parts of Asia as well as Australia.
Feeding
Alpacas and llamas have different dietary needs. Llama have long snouts which allow them to eat grasses and shrubs.
They have longer teeth than llamas. Llama’s teeth are not very sharp, so they cannot chew grass. The only way they can eat them is by cutting them with their sharp incisors.
Alpacas need more energy than llamas because they need more food to meet their needs. Alpacas also eat more protein and fat than llamas. They eat mainly herbs, bushes, roots, bulbs and leaves as well as alfalfa hay.
Habitat
Both alpacas and llamas live in high altitudes in the Andes Mountains at an altitude of about 6,000 meters (more than 22,000 feet). Their habitat consists of grasslands with some trees or shrubs.
In Conclusion
The two animals have very similar characteristics and habits. They both live in the Andes Mountains and eat mainly grasses, shrubs, wild plants and herbs.
Their bodies are also very similar in size and shape.
The main difference between them is that alpacas are smaller than llamas. The alpaca’s fur grows down their backs and legs while the llama’s fur grows on their bodies. The alpaca also has a shorter snout than the llama which allows it to eat grasses and shrubs more easily.
