An alpaca is a domesticated animal from South America that looks like a small, fluffy llama with a gentle face and big, curious eyes. Alpacas stand about four to five feet tall at the shoulder and are raised primarily for their incredibly soft, warm fleece, which comes in more than twenty natural colors, from white and cream to brown, gray, and black.

People have raised alpacas in the Andes Mountains of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile for thousands of years. Like sheep, alpacas get annual haircuts, but their fleece is warmer, softer, and lighter than sheep's wool. A single alpaca can produce enough fleece each year to make several sweaters or blankets.

Alpacas are herd animals, meaning they feel most comfortable living in groups. They're generally calm and curious, though they can be shy around strangers. When annoyed or establishing dominance with each other, alpacas sometimes spit, but they usually reserve this behavior for other alpacas rather than people. They hum softly to communicate, making a sound almost like a gentle, contented murmur. Their padded feet are gentler on pastures than hooves, and they're relatively easy to care for, which has made them increasingly popular on small farms around the world.