Are there different types of Alpaca?
Based on fleece there are two types of Alpacas, the Huacayas and Suris Huacayas have soft, dense and lustrous fleeces with a high level of crimp leading to animals that look somewhat like overgrown and long-necked cuddly lambs
Suris have a silken fleece, without crimp, that hangs down in flowing pencil-like locks Huacayas are the hardier and are much more common. Where do Alpacas come from? Based on their geographical or breeding source there are three types of Alpacas. 1. Peruvian 2. Chilean 3. Bolivian Although the animals recognise no boundaries and freely roam the South American Altiplano there is considerable difference between the animals that have been exported from Peru and those that have come from Chile. Relatively few animals have been exported from Bolivia. In Southern Peru there have been some intensive breeding programs for several years. This has lead to some of the best animals with beautiful lines and the finest fleeces. These breeders focused on white animals so good Peruvian coloureds are relatively rare and are particularly prized. These animals are among the most expensive, however they are worth the price, particularly if you want to have a good breeding program and produce top quality fleece. A good Peruvian-derived stud male can bring on less good Chilean-derived females and help you to improve your herd. Chilean-derived animals have generally been running freely on the Altiplano, untouched by a breeding program. They have less clean lines, slimmer bones, may be slightly smaller and the fleece quality may not be as good. However they can be bred from and improved by a good Peruvian stud male. They wonderfully attractive to look at, come in white plus a variety of wonderful colours The gelded males can provide colourful pets. They generally cost less than Peruvian-derived animals. Numbers South America: about 2-3 million . North America: over 30,000 Australia: over 30,000 Great Britain over 6,000 Europe: a few hundred Ireland: a few hundred Approximately 3-5% of alpacas are Suris, the rest are Huacayas
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