Crias weigh 15-19 pounds at birth. Lifespan 15-25 years, with a few living to 30 years of age. Prime years 5-10 years of age. Gestation period 11 months.
Healthy females can produce offspring at an average rate of one cria each year.
Colors There are more than 22 natural shades produced from the alpaca fleece ranging from white to black that are recognized and accepted by The Alpaca Registry. From mature individual each year-one to eight pounds with a few yielding up to ten pounds each year. Approximately three million worldwide, with 98 percent still living in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Roughly 90 percent of all alpacas are huacaya and ten percent are suri. These same percentages apply to the alpacas currently in the United States.