Llama vs Alpaca | Whats the difference

Hey guys, and welcome back. So in the comment section of my 2016 All My Pets video, I'm constantly being told how cool my llamas are. The only problem is, is that there are no llamas in that video. So I thought today I would explain the difference between alpacas and llamas because they are two different animals. I'll be showing you my llama, Mesquite, as well as my 10 alpacas. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button because I do make two new videos about animals every week. Alpacas and llamas have been bred for certain qualities over the last 6,000 years. And in that time, they have developed very different characteristics specific to what they were bred for. Alpacas were bred for fiber and llamas were bred for work. The immediate difference between the two is easy to spot just by looking at them. Llamas are a lot bigger than alpacas. Alpacas weigh about 150 pounds while llamas are between 300 to 400 pounds. Alpacas have small round heads with straight pointed ears. Llamas have long faces with large banana shaped ears. Alpacas are about 36 inches tall and llamas can be about 48 inches tall at the shoulder. So here I am with one of my alpacas and I was trying to do some of this recording outside a few months ago actually back in the summer. But it ended up being way too windy for me to record outside and I had to stop. But this alpaca that I am here with, this brown one, is actually a very tall alpaca. This is the tallest one that I own and she's pretty tall for alpacas. And comparing her next to me, I'm actually a pretty small person. I'm only 5 feet tall. So you can see that the alpacas are really not very big animals. Now llamas on the other hand just have a much bigger body and are a lot taller. The next thing that is very different about them is the quality of their hair. Alpacas were bred for fiber. Fiber is what we call their hair. Every year they get sheared and their hair is used to make all kinds of things like clothing and rugs. It is very soft and very good for people with allergies to certain materials. So people who are allergic to wool from sheep are often better off with alpaca fiber. It is an expensive material and each alpaca produces a lot. Llamas were not bred for the quality of their hair. They do not produce a lot of it and it's not very soft. It can still be used to make things but it isn't sought after like alpaca fiber. Llamas were bred for work. They are used for packing, pulling, and as farm guardians. Alpacas don't stand much of a chance against predators but llamas can kill wolves, coyotes, and dogs. They can also carry a lot of weight and are used for traveling through tough terrain. Llamas are strong, very intelligent, and pretty mellow unless provoked. Alpacas are very vocal, sometimes finicky, but very sweet. Typically, alpacas are going to cost a lot more to buy than llamas. There are two types of alpaca, the suri and the wakaya alpaca. The second being the most common and the kind that I have. And the final question, do they spit? Yes, both llamas and alpacas can spit. Usually they only do so if provoked. Alpacas don't usually spit, they aren't very good at it, and it's kind of like being sneezed on. Llamas, however, can really get you and it's gross. Miss Geat has never tried to spit at us. She did try to spit at the shearer last year and let me tell you, it was green. It's really not as big of a deal as people make it out to be and doesn't happen often. A lot of people are under the impression that these animals spit just for the hell of it, but that is completely untrue. But it still makes it the most common question that alpaca or llama owners get. And trust me, we wish that people would, I guess, just get over that. Alpacas and llamas were bred and domesticated from wild ancestors in South America. They can now be found on farms all around the world with large populations in America, Australia, and New Zealand. I hope you enjoyed learning more about these two members of the camelid family. Don't forget to subscribe and I will see you guys in the next video. Bye!