Tag archives for Alpacas
Llamas, Alpacas, and Grace K
Posted by “Alpaca or llama?” was one of my FAQ’s during our Peruvian adventure. We saw these soft furry creatures everywhere. They were in the fields, walking along the roads, at small markets, and in the villages. Llamas and alpacas look very similar, but like any animals that are related, they also have some differences.
The alpaca is shorter and they are softer to the touch. Llamas spit A
LOT more than alpacas. (I found this out from personal experience…)
Also, the ears on a llama are banana-shaped, while alpacas have
straight ears.
Llamas and alpacas are considered pack animals in Peru. They can carry
as much as a donkey or horse, but have more benefits. they are easier
to train, their wool can be used for many different things, they can be
guard animals, and (unfortunately for the alpaca) you can eat them. At
one of the hotels that we stayed at, lunch for the adults was alpaca. I
could not bring myself to eat it, but my mom did. She said that it
tasted a bit like lamb.
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Peru has been extremely incredible! On the sixth day in Peru I still have not done anything that I did not love. We’ve seen quite an assortment of animals since we came to Peru.
Being in Cusco, we had a day of travels to get to our destination, Machu Picchu. On a photo stop, we were confronted by two woolly alpacas. They had the softest light poofy fur, though it was very matted. The funny thing about them was they couldn’t stop sniffing your face. They would shove their noses right into yours, and if you’re lucky (or unlucky, depending on how your look at it!), they would lick you. I’d never seen anything like it!
