Personality and Social Behavior One of the biggest reasons an alpaca buyer cites for purchasing their animals, is the personality of the alpaca. The alpaca is a gentle creature who is a real pleasure to be around. Alpacas have no upper teeth (they do not bite), soft padded feet, and non-aggressive, docile personalities. We have formed a pact with the alpaca, we don’t hurt them and they don’t hurt us. They truly are wonderful farm animals, pets, and companions.
Alpacas can be trained to wear a halter and be led on walks both outdoors and inside buildings.
When taken to county fairs and shows, they are walked through obstacle courses sometimes dressed in costume for good natured competition. They take well to being paraded through schools and to nursing homes where they are adored. Alpacas are excellent around small children and are fascinated when these adults in training enter their fields. They will generally approach children, fixing on them with a gentle and curious gaze. Halter trained alpacas even let youngsters take them for walks.
As a social animal, an alpaca will be lonely without a companion. Therefore, buyers who are taking their animals home, usually acquire two or more in their first purchase.
Communication between alpacas is made with a variety of humming sounds which you must hear to believe. The hums seem to resemble the chants of monks mediating in the Himalayas. The gentle sounds are comforting to all bystanders, especially people.
When running, an alpaca will sometimes bound and prance in a playful manner known as a "pronk" or "scott". The series of freeze frames shown above, captures this playful gait. One will take the lead, while the rest chase the leader. This behavior usually occurs in the early evening hours and is an absolute joy to behold.
An alpaca will occasionally spit when threatened. Almost always, the act is directed towards another alpaca. Usual causes for this defensive behavior are for protection of an infant or for being challenged at the dinner plate. The spittle is a fine spray consisting of partially digested grass or hay and is nothing like the spit from a baseball player. Rarely is the act directed at a person, unless of course, the person happened to spit at the alpaca first.
Physical Size The average height of an alpaca is 3 feet as measured at the withers (the top of the front shoulders). This allows them to stand just tall enough to give one a hug.
The average weight of a mature adult is about 135 pounds. This small to moderate size in conjunction with their non-aggressive temperament makes them easy for all to handle.
Life span The average life span of an alpaca runs somewhere from fifteen to twenty five years. They have been in this country since 1984 and there are a number of alpacas, imported then, which are still around today.
The alpaca appears to have a productive life-span lasting from 12 to more than 14 years (meaning a typical female can produce 12 to 14 or more crias over her life span).
One of our oldest females was imported in the first 1984 import. She is still doing very well today. She delivered a healthy, prosperous cria in 2001 and is pregnant yet again with another due in early April of 2002!
