Llamas and alpacas are both domesticated animals from the camel family, but there are numerous differences between the two species

At first glance, llamas and alpacas can appear remarkably alike. Both are domesticated creatures belonging to the camel family, Camelidae, originating from Peru and Bolivia, alongside their wild relatives, the vicuña and guanaco.

In reality, however, there are a host of distinctions between the two species, ranging from their size to their temperament.

Perhaps the most immediately noticeable difference is their stature. Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, typically standing around 90cm tall at the shoulder and weighing between 55 and 65kg.

Llamas, by contrast, generally reach approximately 120cm in height at the shoulder, tipping the scales at around 113kg.

Their ears are another telling distinction — llamas sport ears that resemble bananas, while alpacas have shorter, more spear-shaped ones. Similarly, alpacas have a squashed, compact-looking face, whereas llamas boast longer, more elongated features.

Although both animals are farmed for their wool, their fleeces differ considerably. Alpacas produce shaggy hair that comes in a wider range of colours, while llama hair tends to be coarser and grows far less around the face.

Despite both being used for wool production today, this is not typically the primary purpose when breeding llamas.

The experts at Modern Farmer write: "For more than 5,000 years alpacas have been bred for fiber (and in Peru for meat as well), while llamas have been bred for the same amount of time as pack animals and meat."

The Encyclopaedia Britannica also highlights the differences in behaviour between llamas and alpacas, noting: "Llamas get a bad reputation, since, when overloaded or maltreated, they react by spitting, kicking, lying down, or refusing to move.

"Usually, however, they are gentle creatures. Alpacas, on the other hand, are a bit more timid and like to stay with their herd. Llamas can be used as guard animals for livestock like alpacas and sheep."

Despite these distinctions, llamas and alpacas are actually capable of breeding with one another, producing offspring known as huarizos or llapacas. These hybrid animals typically inherit the robust frame of a llama, combined with the soft, premium-quality wool of an alpaca.