They have been domesticated for over 5,000 years. There are two types of alpacas, both of which are represented in the United States, the Suri and the Huacayas . The Huacayas fiber has a wavy or crimped appearance while the Suri alpaca's fiber have more of a lock formation. Huacayas outnumber Suris in both South America and North America, although absolute numbers of each are small in North America. The fantastic fiber of both types of alpacas are used in spinning, weaving, and felting wonderful alpaca garments.
Alpacas are grazers and like sheep, horses and cattle, and they chew their cud.
They have a split upper lip which prevents them from damaging the vegetation's roots. Alpacas have a bottom row of teeth, and an upper gum without teeth. The grazing these areas thus keep parasite infestation low. They are on strict deworming programs and require annual boosters of certain vaccinations. They are shorn yearly for their wonderful fiber and at that time, a check of their teeth and toenails are made to see if any trimming is required.