llama v. alpaca v. guanaco v. vicuña
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 The lamoids are a group of South American camelids comprising llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicuñas. Llamas and alpacas are domestic and have thick coats in a variety of colors. Guanacos and vicuñas are wild. They are light brown with white underneath.
The llama (Lama glama) is a pack animal that is also used for fiber and meat. Llamas are about 1.1 meters tall at the withers, and are descended from guanacos.
A llama, mugging for the camera above Machu Picchu.
Alpacas (Vicugna pacos), which are descended from vicuñas, are smaller than llamas, standing about 0.9 meters at the withers. Compared to llamas, they have shorter heads and shorter, straighter ears. Alpacas also have a thick tuft of fur on top of the head, which is usually absent in llamas. Alpacas are too small to be used as pack animals. Instead, they are bred for their warm, soft, silky fleece, which is finer than llama fiber.
Four alpacas (left) and a llama (right).
Just as alpacas look somewhat like small llamas, vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) look like small, thin guanacos (Lama guanicoe).
A guanaco.
Vicuñas.