While there are several million alpacas in South America, there are only about 30,000 in the United States. The first import into the U.S. was in 1984. Alpacas don't always look alike. There are many more huacaya alpacas in the U.S. than there are suris. The Suri's fiber falls in locks.
Alpacas are quite a bit smaller than llamas.
They weigh between 100-200 pounds when full grown. This is about half the size of a llama. Average alpaca height is 36 inches at the shoulder. An alpaca baby, called a cria, usually weighs somewhere between 15 and 20 pounds at birth. There are many reasons.