# Suri Alpaca (*Vicugna pacos*) Suri alpacas are fluffy animals that live on farms. They have long, silky hair that keeps them warm and cozy! - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low ![Suri Alpaca](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426323/objects/4476.jpg) ## Appearance The Suri Alpaca has incredibly long, lustrous dreadlock-like fleece that hangs in beautiful parallel cords down its body, giving it a unique, elegant appearance. Unlike the fluffy Huacaya alpaca, its wool grows away from its body, creating a distinct flowing coat that can be white, brown, or black. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Artiodactyla - **Family:** Camelidae - **Genus:** Vicugna ## Interesting facts - An alpaca's eyesight is very good, helping them spot predators from far away! - Suri alpacas often spit at things they don't like, especially if food is involved! - Their amazing fleece can grow over 30 centimeters in a single year! - These gentle creatures hum to their babies, making a soft, comforting sound. ## Special abilities - **Super Soft Coat:** Suri Alpaca has long, corded fleece that acts like natural insulation, protecting them from both cold mountain winds and intense sun. - **High Altitude Breathing:** Suri Alpaca can breathe easily in thin mountain air because their blood has special cells that carry extra oxygen. - **Tough Food Digestion:** Suri Alpaca has a unique three-chambered stomach that helps them digest tough, fibrous plants found in mountain homes. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 120-150 cm - **Weight:** 50-80 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 55 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1 - **Gestation:** 330-350 days ## Diet & Feeding Grazers that munch on various mountain plants, grasses, and shrubs to get their energy. - **Primary Foods:** grasses, shrubs, lichens, mosses, forbs - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Puma (*Puma concolor*) — Apex predator in the Andes that occasionally preys on alpacas. - **Eaten by:** Andean Fox (*Lycalopex culpaeus*) — Smaller predator that may target young alpacas or crias. - **Eats:** [Kentucky Bluegrass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/kentucky-bluegrass) (*Poa pratensis*) — Main food source for alpacas in their natural grazing lands. - **Parasitizes:** Alpaca Coccidia (*Eimeria macusaniensis*) — A common parasite in alpacas and other camelids. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Suri alpacas are gentle animals. Always ask an adult before petting them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Suri Alpaca? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Suri Alpaca? 120-150 cm ### How much does Suri Alpaca weigh? 50-80 kg ### How long does Suri Alpaca live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Suri Alpaca move? 55 km/h ### What does Suri Alpaca eat? Grazers that munch on various mountain plants, grasses, and shrubs to get their energy. ### How does Suri Alpaca hunt? Grazing ### How many babies does Suri Alpaca usually have? 1 ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Suri Alpaca: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/suri-alpaca)