Alpacas with the good hair!

Alpacas with the good hair!

Hello beautiful readers! We’re so excited about today’s blog which is about something very dear and important to the La Sierra family!  Can you guess what it is? ALPACAS!  Alpacas are not only an important part of our brand, but they are also cute, very adorable…and NOT LLAMAS haha! 

Wait, there’s a difference between Alpacas and Llamas?!

I know it can be hard to believe, but sometimes we get customers who confuse the two, which is totally okay!  (Well, not really ...)  So we thought we would clarify and explain the differences, especially since our clothes are created with authentic Alpaca fibres!

La Sierra works mostly with fibres from Alpacas in Peru, but they are also found in other parts of South America, such as Ecuador, Bolivia and Argentina.  We know that Alpacas and Llamas look very much alike, both being members of the camel family, but the key differences between the two are their sizes, their faces and the difference in their hair!

You might be thinking, well that’s not a big change, and probably if you were faced with identifying what is an Alpaca and what is a Llama, you’d maybe just assume that they are both … Llamas!

But this may help:

  • Alpacas are actually smaller and have shaggy hair compared to Llamas. Many consider their hair to be softer and more luxurious.  That’s right, alpacas got that good hair!  And because of this, they are known and valued for production of the fibre from their fleece.  Alpacas have a diverse colour range when it comes to their hair, sometimes golden, light brown or a white fleece, whereas Llamas’ hair is coarser so many consider their wool to be sub-standard, to say the least.
  • Llamas are also bigger and sturdier in size and can weigh as much as 180 kilos!  Whereas Alpacas have an average weight of about 68 kilos and appear more delicate.

  • Alpacas and Llamas also have unique and specific facial qualities that distinguish one from the other.  And no, we’re not just talking about cuteness!  Llamas have a larger face with longer banana like ears and Alpacas have a smaller, more rounded face with shorter leaf like ears.

 

Generally speaking, Alpacas tend to have a kinder and sweeter temperament than Llamas.  Both tend to be herd animals, like to stick together, and are often used for guarding livestock.  Llamas are known for being stronger and were traditionally used as pack animals or bred for their meat.  And you don’t want to upset a Llama, because they just might spit on you!  Unlike a calm Alpaca, which is more likely to hum when it is content, or just being its shy but curious self.

We know it can be a close call but, all in all, there is a big difference when it comes to Alpacas and Llamas.  Customers really value our products because of the quality and consistency.  We take pride in using precious Alpaca fleece because of its unique and precious fibres.  La Sierra does not use Llama wool.

We think it’s important to know where your clothes are coming from.  Aren’t you glad to learn it comes from a beautiful and caring animal with great hair?  We love Alpacas and are glad we could share some eye-opening information about these amazing creatures.