• Where do llamas and alpacas come from? South America....... at an altitude of about 12,000 feet in the Andes mountains of Peru, Bolivia and Chile.
• How do they live in the wild? Llamas and alpacas are both domesticated species and do not exist as wild animals. (Their ancestors were the guanaco and vicuna both of which still live wild in the Andes)
• What are their nearest relatives? Llamas and alpacas are part of the camel family and several million years ago had common ancestors with today's camels of Asia.
• How long do they live? Generally 12 - 15 years though some may live to over 20 years.
• What do you call males and females? Just that, males and females.
• What do they eat? Mainly grass and hay. Llamas and alpacas are ruminants; i.e. they chew their cud.
• How long is their pregnancy? About 11.5 months.
• What do you call a baby llama or alpaca? How many are born at a time? A llama or alpaca only has a single baby; it is called a calf, or cria.
• How large an area do you need to keep them? They are normally kept at about 4 to the acre for llamas, and 6 to the acre for alpacas. However this does not mean that you can keep 2 alpacas on one third of an acre. An acre is about the minimum area required to keep a small number of llamas or alpacas.
• Do they need special veterinary care? Llamas and alpacas are basically very healthy and their husbandry is similar to that of a sheep or goat. They require regular worming and vaccination, and occasional toenail trimming.
• Do they need shelter? Some people will tell you that they do not need shelter. We believe that they should have access to shelter, especially in the winter. It only needs to be an open fronted wooden shed. They do not like being shut inside an enclosed building.
• How often do you shear them? Alpacas are shorn every year. Llamas are shorn only occasionally to keep them looking tidy. Llamas are normally groomed to keep them looking smart.
• What sort of fencing is required? Ordinary stock netting with one or two strands of plain wire above. Do not use barbed wire as this can become entangled in the fleece of a llama or alpaca. Electric fencing is also best avoided.
• Why llamas? As pack animals, for guarding sheep, or just charming companions.
• Why alpacas? To produce high quality fine fibre.
• What's the difference between a llama and an alpaca? Size, body, ear and head shape, fleece quantity and quality, temperament. Visit Ashdown Forest Llama Park and see the difference for yourself!
• What colour are llamas and alpacas? Llamas and alpacas come in a whole range of colours from black, brown, and 
grey through to fawn and white. Alpacas are normally bred to be a single colour; llamas are more often multicoloured.
• Do people eat llamas and alpacas? Yes, in South America but not in the UK.
• Do they spit? Spitting is the llama or alpaca's defence mechanism. Yes they can spit, but not very often and seldom at people.
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