vicuña alpaca

In South America, there are four types of camelids: the llama, the alpaca, the guanaco and the vicuña. The last two live in the wild, the guanaco being the ancestor of the llama and the vicuña of the alpaca.

The llama is the largest of the camelid family, measuring about 1.70 metres! It has a long snout and long curved ears and is generally used as a pack animal. The guanaco is the same size as the llama but is much slimmer and thinner.

Let's focus on the similarities and differences between the alpaca and vicuña and the benefits of their wool. BellePaga explains it all to you!

Differences between alpaca and vicuña

The vicuña is the smallest of the camelid species, measuring approximately 120 to 180 cm and found only in the central Andes Mountains of South America.

Physically, it is much thinner and slimmer and has less fur than the llama and alpaca. The colour of its coat is brown on top and white on its flank, belly and inside legs. Its fleece is the finest material after silk. The vicuña has hooves that allow it to be fast and agile in its very rocky natural habitat.

A shy and wary animal, it lives on high grassy plateaus, up to an altitude of 5,000 metres, and travels in herds of 10 to 20 other vicuñas, consisting of a dominant male. They are very resistant to domestication. Since the time of the Incas, the vicuña was hunted for its wool to make warm and soft clothes for the royal family. It was forbidden to own vicuña wool items without being part of the royalty! After shearing, which took place once every two years, it was carefully released.

Vicuña produces only 150 to 225 grams of wool per year, which is why it is so rare and expensive. Only a certain amount can be produced each year. It is therefore considered luxurious and many people pay incredible amounts of money for it. Vicuña wool is very high quality and fine (about 12 microns). It has all the same advantages as alpaca wool such as its thermoregulatory, hypoallergenic and durable properties. Vicuña wool is very warm and durable, much more so than sheep wool, and its lightness makes it very comfortable.

Finally, vicuñas live about 20 years. Its predators are the puma, the Andean fox and the condor.


The alpaca is about 75 to 90 cm long. It also comes from South America, mainly from Peru. It has straight ears and a fairly rounded back. Unlike the vicuña, the alpaca does not have hooves. Instead, it has a foot with a nail and a pad to prevent it from damaging the pasture. The colour of its coat is very diverse, it comes in 22 official colours, ranging from white, black, beige and brown.

A cuddly and sociable camelid, it is not afraid of human presence. It is therefore domesticated for breeding and for shearing its wool. This is done once a year, in the spring, so as not to affect its survival and so that its wool can grow back for the winter. It provides about 2.5 kg to 5 kg per year.

There are two different types of alpacas: the suri alpaca and the huacayo alpaca.
The latter is the best known and most widespread. It can be recognised by its very thick, sheep-like coat. The suri alpaca is rarer and has dreadlock-like locks.

Wool of the gods 

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